Blood and Loyalty (Sequel to Tortured Sky)
by topthis808
Summary: Skylar and the team continue their search for Rumlow, before stumbling across someone they hadn't expected to see so soon. Bucky. Naturally his presence hits home for the engaged couple, will they be able to protect him? Will Sky be able to choose between her super soldiers or her only living family? Choices will be made, hearts will be torn and ties will be challenged
1. Chapter 1

**And so it finally begins!**

 **First things first, welcome back everyone! I hope everyone had a beautiful and blessed Christmas and New Years! I know I did lol**

 **Before you get into reading this mess of a fantasy of mine, if you haven't read the first installment to this story, 'Tortured Sky', I would very much suggest you to read that first or this will be all very confusing for you.**

 **Anyways, as I promised in the last chapter of 'Tortured Sky', I am officially back with the newest and next installment, officially being titled 'Blood and Loyalty'. Naturally I wanted the title to continue to have 'Sky' in it but then I ran across this quote on Facebook a few days ago that read 'Blood makes you related, Loyalty makes you family'. Immediately I thought it fit the situation of Civil War almost perfectly. Of course the quote could work either way with what will happen in Civil War, both pointed at Tony and also Sky but guess you'll have to see where I take them in Civil War.**

 **So without further ado, I present to you, 'Blood and Loyalty'!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters, though I wish I did, that would be awesome!**

* * *

"So are you going to tell me where you're taking me or should I start worrying?" Steve asked for the 10th time as the newly engaged couple continued to make their way through the streets of New York in one of Tony's more expensive cars. Skylar, who had been silently staring out the windshield only chuckled, briefly pulling her eyes from the road to meet his blues.

"You can't just sit there and relax, can you?" Her brow perked in amusement while the corners of his lips twitched.

"I would relax, doll, if you would just tell me what's with the secrecy." Steve retaliated playfully as Skylar's hazel orbs met the road once more, her hands clenching the steering wheel in annoyance when a car cut in front of her, pretty closely too. Damn New York drivers.

"It's a surprise okay. Just leave it at that. In the meantime, I feel like I'm gonna fucking kill someone with all these idiots driving." She muttered the last part, more to herself before Steve looked at her in mild disappointment.

"Doll, language." He scolded halfheartedly as she bit her lip when she had to swerve to avoid another idiot driver.

"Language would pertain to someone that doesn't have to drive through this shit. I mean, see! Did you see that guy?! Dear god, I knew I should have just had had Wilson fly us or something. I don't have the patience for New York Drivers." She snapped irritated as the tires of her cousins expensive car spun out as she swerve around another car, pulling up beside him while cursing under her breath. She was gonna give this man a piece of her mind, no playing misses nice guy.

"Doll, think before you speak….." Steve warned, his hand coming to rest on her thigh once he realized what she was about to do.

"I am thinking before I speak, and you're not gonna like it baby, so just cover your ears." She wildly slapped his thigh as she slowed beside the driver, all awhile rolling down her window.

Steve placed his free hand on his face, wiping down his face before watching her in mild amusement as she road right up next to the man who was now stuck in traffic.

"There you are asshole." She whispered pleased that their cars had stopped beside each other at the red light.

"Hey! Dude! Yeah you, roll your window down!" She waved her hand at the man who had only noticed her through the light tints of his car before rolling his eyes and rolling his window down.

"What do you want?!" He shouted back over the loud music that was now blasting out of his car. Her hand gripped the steering wheel tighter as the explicit music flowed through the air and into her car where Steve stiffened from beside her.

"Would you turn it down?!" She asked annoyed, as he continued to look at her uninterested through his glasses before finally turning it down, just enough that they could hear each other without yelling across the 8 feet that separated them.

"Better, sweetcheeks? Nice car." The man taunted back, having tilted his glasses down to get a better look of her. Skylar rolled her eyes, placing a comforting hand on Steve's thigh when she felt him move from behind her.

"Yeah. Anyways, I couldn't help but notice that you ignored the fact that there were two lanes instead of one back there. I know straddling things must be your favorite past time but really, straddling the line? I don't know if you are legally blind or just too much of a dumbass to even notice that you also cut in front of me – closely by the way – twice." The man just laughed at her words, pushing his glasses back up his nose before he turned back to the road ahead of him.

"It's a good thing your gorgeous cause that mouth of yours is gonna get you in trouble wench." He commented back, her hand on Steve's thigh tightening as she felt him sit up further, glaring hard at the man, wanting nothing more than to have his shield in his hand right at that moment just to show that man some manners.

"Well it's a good thing you are ugly beyond words because that car definitely needed a confidence boost." She spat back proudly, watching his jaw twitch before he turned back to face her.

"You know what, bitch, how about you keep that trap of yours shut or step out of that car and into mine to put it to good use." He made a show, tugging at his belt only taunting Steve further.

"Dear god this man." She muttered under her breath annoyed, knowing it was taking everything in Steve not to break through the car and dive at the man's throat.

"Oh, look at that, sorry we can't chat more sweetheart, but work calls!" He turned the music in his car up once more before smirking amused.

She growled, turning to see that the light had turned green and the traffic was now dissipating into the opposite direction.

"Oh no, you don't." She muttered, her eyes flashing violet causing the sound system in his car to fizz and spark as he yelled in surprise. She smirked, watching as smoke began to fill his car from his ruined sound system sending the man crawling from his car, his eyes seeking out her own.

"Sorry we can't chat more 'sweetheart', but work calls!" She purposely kept her eyes glowing violet as she met his overly shocked ones. Kicking her car back into gear, she flipped him the bird before laughing loudly as her car pulled away from his own and towards her original destination.

"Was that really necessary doll?" Steve groaned in frustration from beside her as she continued to smirk proudly into the rear view mirror.

"One thing you need to learn baby, while driving in New York, don't be a push over or you'll get stepped on. And just because I'm a woman, doesn't mean I'm about to allow someone like that, stepping all over me. No way in hell." She shook her head as Steve slowly turned to look at her side profile. Above the anger pulsating through him for the man, he couldn't help but feel a bit of proud flooding his system at the woman beside him. Though a bit unladylike in his time, he knew, she was a force to be reckoned with, even to the male population. To Steve, she was a calmer, less vicious version of Romanoff.

"So, where are we going?" Steve quickly decided to change the subject immediately sending Skylar laughing as they were back to square one.

"Just wait and you'll see."

Minutes later, passing through various towns and whatnot, they finally pulled up outside a gated area, the sign reading 'Cedar Grove Cemetery." Steve sat forward in his seat, reading the sign before looking at her in confusion as she shut off the car and unbuckled herself.

"What are we doing at a cemetery?" Steve asked confused, following her movements as he pulled his seatbelt free from its place.

"I promised I would introduce you officially to someone." She answered, feeding his confusion as she climbed out of her cousins BMW i8 and to the gravel.

"Someone? At a cemetery?" Steve muttered more to himself as he climbed out his eyes panning the area.

"Come on baby." Skylar chuckled, holding a hand out of his as she noticed the confusion constantly flushing across his face.

Skylar led Steve through the opened gates and down the path into the cemetery. Truth be told, she had been working up to this moment ever since that HYDRA visit last month. She knew, her mother must be rolling in her grave, waiting for her daughter to live up to her promise but Skylar had been nervous. Yes, nervous. She had never introduced a man to her mother, or father for that matter. She knew with Steve, it was different, but still, that didn't stop the way her heart pounded in her chest. Would he think she was weird once he found out why they were there? She wouldn't be surprised if he did, but she made a promise to her mother and now that they were engaged, she knew it was better now than later.

"Over here." She tugged him off the path and down a row of tombstones as Steve quickly searched the area, looking for whoever he was being introduced to.

They walked for a bit more, avoiding tombstone after tombstone before they finally reached an extravagant tomb that looked almost brand new. Skylar let go of his hand long enough to pull a key from her blouse and into the lock at the door. Steve watched her in confusion, before his eyes sought out the large name carved into the stone above the door.

Stark

She pushed the now unlocked door, open, slipping the key back into her blouse before turning to him.

"This is your parents tomb?" He asked softly, noticing the way her eyes watered just a bit before a soft smile cracked on her face.

"Yeah, I promised my mom I would introduce you to her, properly, once everything calmed down." She explained embarrassed, casting her eyes to the ground under them.

Steve smiled adoringly at the smaller woman, his hand reaching out to lift her chin, allowing her eyes to meet his.

"Then, let's not keep them waiting." He smiled lovingly at her as her wet hazel orbs blinked in mild surprise. Steve smiled at the look of surprise on her face, taking her hand in his before leading her inside. Immediately, LED lights, that littered the top of the tomb, flicked on at the movement. Steve flinched in surprise, having not expected the lighting and looked around the medium sized space in shock. He had never been a tomb quite as, clean? No, clean wasn't the right word. It looked to him like someone had spent a lot of money and time making a tomb as extravagant as this one. Aside from the cleanliness and extravagant structure of the inside, his eyes finally settled on the four marble rectangles that sat, centered. The four sat paired, two by two, a small gap between the pair showing that it must be two couples.

"Tony spared no expense in making the tomb. I was okay with something simple, like everyone else but he insisted that 'Starks' should be buried in style." She chuckled awkwardly as she approached a specific one on the end. Steve shook the shock he stood in and approached her from behind, glancing over her shoulder at the top of the marble that was decorated with fresh flowers and a name. Her mother's name.

"When I was unconscious during the entire HYDRA incident, I told you guys I woke up in the other dimension, where Tony was." She started, her hand lifting to rest on the smooth marble.

"I told you that we got some help from someone else." She added as Steve wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder with a nod.

"It was my mother and Uncle Howard. I don't know how they got there but they helped us escape." She confessed as Steve smiled. He wasn't the least bit surprised, not with everything else that had happened in the last few months, nothing much surprised him anymore.

"Before she left, she made me promise that I would bring you by to officially meet her." Skylar laughed softly through her tears, sniffling as she wiped at her cheeks, Steve's arms tightening around her briefly. He pecked her cheek lovingly before releasing his hold on her to stand beside her.

"I'm happy to finally be able to introduce myself to you, ma'am. I'm Steve Rogers." Steve immediately introduced himself, though a bit awkwardly with who he was introducing himself to. Steve lifted his eyes from the marble slab in front of him to the one sitting right beside her.

"And you also, sir. I'm glad Skylar finally brought me to meet you two." Steve added, smiling when he felt Skylar cuddle up to his side, his arm immediately wrapping around her to pull her closer.

"I love your daughter, very much and I just want to tell you both that I will do my best to protect her everyday of our lives. I will love and cherish her without any error and I hope, that wherever you are, that you will bless our relationship and continue to watch over Skylar as I know you have. She means the world to me, thank you for bringing her into this world." Steve whispered the last part, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead.

"They would have loved you baby. Just as Uncle Howard did." She chuckled through tears, briefly glancing over at her uncle's tomb on the other side.

* * *

"So are you planning the wedding to be held in a church somewhere? Or did you want to do a park, or something else?" Nat had been insistent on wedding information from the moment she had found out that Skylar had agreed to marry the super soldier.

Skylar on the other hand, wasn't the type to start planning this far ahead of time and much rather have something small and comfortable. No chance in hell with Natasha as your best friend and inevitable Maid of Honor.

"Church." Steve answered for her as Skylar smiled from her spot at the stove, stirring a large pot of stew that she had been brewing most of the day.

"What? In my day, it was normal to get married in a church." Steve muttered embarrassed as he noticed the look of amusement on the assassin's face.

"I think it's cute." Wanda shrugged nonchalantly from her spot at the table where she was sipping tea.

"Well, we'll need to find a large venue to house everyone and then another for the reception." Tony entered the conversation as he strolled into the room, his tablet held firmly in his grasp.

"I like the idea of a church." Skylar quickly went to defend her future husband, ignoring her cousins comment all together.

"Hello, anyone listening to me?" Tony barked out, irritated that no one was listening to him.

"No, not really." Skylar muttered under her breath as she spooned out a potato chunk to check if it was soft enough.

"Ha-ha-ha, hilarious. You know, you're not like other women who would naturally be stressing over everything." Tony placed his tablet down on the counter to lean over the stewing pot, sniffing in the heavenly scent before Skylar pushed him, hard to the side.

"Yeah well, I like my events simple and comfortable, not over the top and expensive." She spat back, sending Steve smiling proudly.

"Expensive? You're a Stark, you do realize that?" Tony quirked a challenging brow as he turned to rest his backside against the counter beside the stove.

"And you do realize I'm not you, right?" She challenged back sending the billionaire snorting in defeat.

"Touché." He answered an uncaring shrug as he pushed off the counter.

"Plus, we don't plan on getting married for at least another couple months or next year." She spun to face the room, her eyes meeting Steve who naturally nodded in agreement.

"What about a winter wedding? We could do it this winter or next?" Nat then offered as she typed away on the laptop in front of her.

There was no point in arguing with the female assassin. It wasn't every day that someone asked her to be part of their wedding party, more so their Maid of Honor. Skylar knew the moment she told and asked the woman about the wedding, she wouldn't hold back.

Oh well, she couldn't blame her best friend.

* * *

Later in the day…..

Skylar slipped from the steam filled room of her bathroom, a thin robe tied around her naked form, having forgotten to grab a change of clothes when she spontaneously decided to shower. Her damp hair, dripped on the lavender color of her robe, leaving small water stains in their wake.

"Doll." A voice spoke the moment she stepped foot inside her room, her eyes shooting to her bed where her super soldier sat patiently. Immediately her eyes panned down his form, his sweats loosely tied around his small waist, his shirt clinging to all his muscles. Unconsciously she bit her lip as warmth filled her before she met his eyes again. She shook the thought from her mind as she glanced from his dark eyes before heading to her closet.

"How as the work out? I thought you would have been done sooner." She commented, slapping her cheeks softly once she was out of sight. Dear god, calm yourself girl. She pulled random clothes off their hooks, quickly pulling them on under her robe, knowing if Steve had appeared in the closet while she was changing, she would have done something.

"I did finish earlier but Nat pulled me aside." His voice flowed into the closet as she quickly marched to the door, now worried that the assassin's name had been mentioned.

"For what? Is she still bantering you about the wedding?" She asked confused as Steve ripped his eyes from her form, his hand wiping across his eyes before lifting them to meet hers once more. Thank god. She wasn't sure how much longer she would stay this far away from him when he had been looking at her like that.

"No, she's got a hit on Rumlow." Steve quickly answered as Skylar's eyes widened in surprise. Okay, so she hadn't been expecting that answer.

"Where?" She immediately asked, her arms crossing her chest.

Steve on the other hand, slowly stood from his spot at the foot of their bed and slowly approached her. Without knowing it, Skylar slowly stepped back as he stepped towards her, till the wall was all but pushed up against her back, allowing her to be caged between that and his towering form.

"Lagos." His voice whispered huskily down at her, her eyes searching out his only to notice that his eyes weren't on hers yet somewhere down below. Swallowing heavily, she slowly allowed her eyes to glance down to see that her robe was hanging open, her shirt having being forgotten in the closet at the mention of her friend. Her throat grew dry again when she realized her bare breasts were out on display for her super soldier.

There was that feeling again.

"L-lagos?" She stuttered out, her eyes immediately finding his, noticing the blue of his eyes were now hiding behind the dark lust burning in his orbs. Slowly his hands snuck out from his pockets, gripping her waist, pulling her flush against his form. She squeaked out in surprise, Steve smirked proudly at the small noise she made.

"Lagos." He returned as she licked her dry lips, his eyes quickly panning down at the movement.

"When…..when do we leave?" She whispered, her hands slowly snaking up his torso to his chest when he shivered heavily under her touch.

"Now. So if you two don't mind, separating and dressing, wheels up in 10!" A voice shouted from the other side of the door, startling the pair from their lust given situation. Skylar blushed brightly while Steve cleared his throat, pecking her lips lightly before stepping back from her.

"Wheels up in 10." Steve repeated lowly, his eyes taking in her form once more before he had to force himself to turn away and into the closet where he quickly decided to get his suit on.

"Damn you Nat." Skylar cursed under her breath, knowing that both her and Steve would be suffering for the next hour or so thanks to the sexual frustration now drowning them.

* * *

Few hours later…

Skylar sat perched in a window belonging to a long abandoned apartment in the middle of Lagos. She squinted her eyes out the dusty window, while her mind continued to thump in anticipation for what was to come today.

"You doing alright doll?" A familiar voice spoke as she turned from the torn curtain barely hanging from the window, glancing over at her fiancée peering over at her concerned from the opposite side.

There he stood, dressed from head to toe in his suit, dear god. She wasn't sure how long it would take for her heart not beat out of her chest every time she saw him dressed, but she wasn't complaining. This was 'her' super soldier and he always looked mighty delicious in his outfit, the fabric hugging his many muscles just the right way and…..Geez! She quickly cut the thoughts from her mind, already feeling her body reacting to him.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." She brushed off his concern for the 20th time, turning back quickly to the window, not wanting to miss even the smallest hint to who they were searching for.

"Don't tell me not to worry about you doll. I'm entitled to worrying about you at all hours of the day, especially in the middle of a mission." Steve commented seriously as she rolled her eyes, unable to stop herself from smirking as she side eyed the super soldier.

"I apologize, 'Captain'." She teased with a soft snicker, watching the corners of his lips twitch ever so slightly.

"Dear god, at least cut off the radios before you guys start drooling over each other." Another voice joined their conversation sending Steve blushing brightly while Skylar giggled into the palm of her leather glove.

"And miss the annoyance in your voice? No, I quite enjoy you eavesdropping at every hour of the day." She mocked back, noticing the blush climb even further up Steve's face as she mentioned the last time Sam had all but walked in on them during a heated make out session.

"Jesus, I apologized for that like a million times already. Can we drop it already?" Sam all but whined as Nat and Wanda's soft giggled entered the line.

"As much as I love teasing Wilson, can we get back on track here?" Nat then playfully scolded before everyone got back into fight mode, Steve returning to the window he had been peering out to the building across the street while she went back to watching the street beneath her window.

"Alright what do you see?" Steve then asked as his voice rang through the earpiece in her ear while her eyes scanned the street beneath them.

"Standard beat cops. Small station. Quiet street. It's a good target." Wanda answered sending Skylar nodding in silent agreement with the woman's words.

"There's an ATM in the south corner, which means…." Steve trailed off as Skylar easily saw the same ATM machine from her own seat.

"Cameras." Skylar answered obviously as Steve nodded over his shoulder at her.

"So compromised escape routes." Wanda added.

"Means our guy doesn't care about being seen, he isn't afraid to make a mess on the way out. You see the ranger over half way up the block." Skylar interrupted the conversation before her eyes took notice of the strange red ranger parked in view.

"You mean the red one. It's cute." Wanda answered innocently.

"It's also bullet proof, which means private security, which means more guns, which means more headaches for somebody, probably us." Nat finally added in, slightly annoyed by the news

"You guys know that both me and Sky can move things with our minds, right?" Wanda then asked with an obvious tone as Sky hummed into the mic.

"Looking over your shoulder needs to become a second nature." Nat scolded her lightly while Skylar scanned the street once more.

"Anybody ever tell you, you're a little paranoid." Sam taunted Nat while Skylar rolled her eyes, peering over at Steve to see him shaking his head in amusement.

"Not to my face. Why, did you hear something?" Nat answered, not slightly moved by his words which put the man out immediately.

"Eyes on target, folks. It's the best lead we have on Rumlow in 6 months. I don't want to lose him." Steve shut the group up before Skylar's eyes noticed something widely out of place coming up her side of the building.

"If he sees us coming there won't be a problem, he kind of hates us." Sam commented back uncaringly while Skylar whistled for Steve, getting his attention as she pointed out the window and to the right. Steve quickly turned his body in the direction she pointed, his eyes immediately noticing the garbage truck, plowing through the street without any care for parked cars or the locals.

"Sam, see that garbage truck? Take it." Steve commanded Sam as he marched over to where Skylar was now pushing the window open to climb out.

"And where do you think you are going?" Steve grabbed her arm before she could even lift a foot to climb, startling the woman.

"What do you think I'm doing? That truck has Rumlow written all over it." She hissed, pulling her arm free from his grasp.

"How do you know?" He insisted on an explanation as Sam spoke through the line

"Max capacity. The truck's loaded for max weight and the driver's armed." Sam announced seriously as Skylar gave the 'told-you-so' look before jumping out the window and into the opposite building's fire escape, with a loud thud that yanked Steve viciously from the conversation happening in his earpiece.

"Doll!" Steve shouted aggravated with the woman that just wouldn't listen to him.

"It's a battling ram! Go now!" She commanded the entire team, winking over at Steve, though it did nothing but piss him off further as he climbed out the window, jumping across to follow his crazy other half up the side of the building.

"Why?" Wanda had asked confused.

"He's not aiming for the police!" Skylar shouted, ignoring the heavy set of feet pounding behind her as she jumped from roof to roof with ease, her abilities helped to give her an extra boost to get over particularly large gaps.

Soon enough Sam came swooping over, grabbing the back of Steve's vest before taking off with him.

"Stay out of danger doll!" Steve shouted down at her as she rolled her eyes, hopping over the edge of the building, allowing her telekinesis to float her down into the alleyway just beside it.

"Not in my nature." She muttered under her breath as she took off running towards the Infectious Diseases center she watched various armed men shooting what she had assumed to be gas canisters into the top floor windows.

"Shit." She cursed, running a bit faster, dodging around the corner, wanting to come from behind as she watched her super soldier, flying out of nowhere, pinning one of the men to the window of his car using his shield before kicking that same truck into another one that was shooting at him. Lucky too, she was about to rip that man a new one for shooting at her fiancé like that.

Sliding across the pavement of the parking lot and in between the legs of an unsuspecting soldier who had been aiming at Steve's back, she swiped his legs out from under him, rolling onto her back before punching the man straight in the face, immediately knocking him unconscious.

"Body armor. AR15s. I make 7 hostiles." Steve spoke, barely out of breath as she stood from her recent take down, throwing her hair out of her face.

"6." She called back as Steve glanced over at her, relief flooding his face as she ran to meet his outstretched arm.

"I make 5." Sam answered proudly from above them just as Wanda came floating over, a shield of sorts forming in front of them as one of the soldiers that Steve had knocked down earlier, sent a rain of bullets at them, each ricocheting off her telepathic wall.

"Sky." Wanda with difficulty, her eyes flashing violet as the man stopped twitching and fell to the ground unmoving. She shook the power from her mind before turning to look at Steve, feeling his hand caressing her lower back in comfort.

"Good job doll." He whispered down to her causing Sky to smile slightly.

Steve had been doing and saying things like this more often, especially after everything that happened with HYDRA months ago. After she had defeated HYDRA, single handed, Steve realized how much more open Sky was with her abilities, then she had been originally. He figured, the more he complimented her abilities, maybe just maybe, it would make it even easier for her to relax into them, especially after finding out that she would gather headaches from time to time, using them. Naturally Steve worried, greatly, but thanks to Bruce and his never-ending studies, he reassured the two that it was nothing to worry about, only that her mind was slowly growing used to the amount of power coming off of a body that hadn't originally been built for it. It would take some time to build the strength needed to house such power and that was exactly what Skylar planned to do.

"You feeling okay?" Steve whispered again as she sighed and nodded, smiling softly at him to reassure the man.

"Rumlow's on the third floor." Sam interrupted their conversation as he looked up from the scanner on his arm.

"Wanda." Steve called over, not wanting to strain Skylar too much as he glanced over at the red head.

"Just like we practiced." He kissed the top of Skylar's head briefly, running back a few steps before running at full speed up the hood of the car before Wanda encircled him with her abilities, helping to launch him off the top of the truck and into the window where Rumlow was said to be.

"What about the gas?" Wanda asked in concern as Skylar watched the small clouds of gas slowly seep out of the broken window.

"Let's get it out." Skylar met Wanda's eyes with a serious nod as the other nodded in understanding.

"Watch our back would ya Sam?" Skylar asked, never looking back to the man who was already hard at work doing just that.

"Consider it watched." He teased as both her and Wanda smiled softly at each other as they got closer to the building.

"On 3." Skylar whispered as she took in a deep breath, shutting her eyes as she channeled the strength to help her friend.

"1, 2, 3." Wanda counted as Skylar's now violet eyes shot open while her eyes shot out. The rest of the windows shattered on impact for the women's force on the gas, yanking the gas from inside the building and out into the open.

"To the top!" Skylar called over while grunting at the force of the gas spinning in a tornado in front of the two before it shot high into the sky, safe from any innocent people.

"Rumlow has a biological weapon." Steve's voice broke their concentration as Skylar's eyes shot to the window he had disappeared into.

"I'm on it!" Nat had finally joined the conversation before Skylar turned to look at Wanda and Sam once.

"He got away." She whispered, her mind already weaving through whatever technology that was nearby.

"Where is he Sky?" Steve asked as she shut her eyes, giving her enough concentration to pinpoint the man.

"On the other side of the building. He's in an armored vehicle, heavily armed." She quickly explained as everyone booked it into said direction.

As they rounded the corner, explosions began going off as Sam grabbed both women, pulling them out of the way of an oncoming pair of Humvees that came barreling away from the explosion site.

"Steve." Skylar gasped once the dust cleared as she ran over to where he was slowly pulling himself from the ground.

"Geez, are you okay baby?" She asked worried as she helped him stand with more difficulty than she expected, her eyes doing a quick scan of his form then up to the window that smoke was currently pouring from.

"Did you…" She had begun to ask in concern if he had just fallen from the broken window, only for said man to gently push her to the side, reaching up for his earpiece.

"He's in an AFV heading north." He explained to anyone listening as Sam and Wanda took off in the direction of the disappearing Humvees with Nat rushing by on a newly found motorcycle.

"Come on doll!" Steve shouted, pulling her from her thoughts as she faced the man that sped up to her side on another motorcycle, his hand held out for his. Wasting no time, she took his offered hand, throwing her opposite leg over just as he took off, her arms shooting around his waist like a lifeline.

"I got 4, they're splitting up!" Sam called out into the com just as they pulled up to one of the empty Humvees, nosey locals beginning to circle the vehicle in interest.

"I got the two on the left!" Nat reassured somewhere nearby.

"They ditched their gear. It's a shell game now." Sky launched off the back of the motorcycle before it even stopped, grabbing one of the ditched vests on the ground before turning to Steve.

"One of them has the payload." Steve mentioned before the sound of something thudding onto his shield caught them both off guard. Immediately facing his back to Skylar, he threw the shield into the air high above them just as the device exploded. Having not expected something like that happening, it was strange to find pain radiating up her side before she was all but tossed aside at a group of unexpected and innocent bystanders who screamed as her body came careening at them.

"Sky!" Steve shouted in terror before an unexpected visitor easily knocked Steve through a wooden wall, sending him rolling across the dirt in shock.

"There you are, you son of a bitch! I've been waiting for this!" A familiar voice shouted through a fog along with various locals shouting at her in a language she didn't understand. She blinked away the fog, attempted to anyways before she slowly pushed herself to sit up, hissing almost immediately at the movement. Her hand shot down to her side before she was met with the rough handle of what she found out to be a rugged hunting knife, lodged deep in her side.

Figures.

A few of the locals attempted to keep her seated as she shook her head, attempting to be as gentle as she could as she pushed them off of her enough to stand, stumbling just a bit.

"He doesn't have it. I'm empty." Sam's voice echoed through her ear as she bit her lip, pulling the knife slowly from her side as she bit into her tongue, crying out silently before tossing the weapon to the ground in annoyance. Taking an offered towel from a local, she held it to her side as her vision swam.

Who the hell had stabbed her? She wanted to rip their throat out and watch them choke on it. Damn, did it hurt.

"This if for dropping a building on my face!" A familiar voice shouted in the distance as more screaming began to emit around her.

She fought the fog attempting to wedge its way through her head before finally noticing the large group of locals circling a particular area. Steve. Her heart dropped, ignoring the pain as best as she could, she pushed through the crowd before coming face to face with Steve now towering over a kneeling and deformed Rumlow.

"I think it looks pretty good, all things considered." Rumlow proudly remarked, obviously talking about his face as she pushed through the last line of people, stumbling out into the open, catching both men's attention.

"Doll…." Steve whispered in concern, seeing the blood pooling down the side of her torso.

"I'm fine." She hissed, glaring down at the man who only grinned back, just as happy to see her.

"Ah, HYDRA's newest asset." He announced teasingly as she took a step to rip his teeth out only for Steve to stop her with his free arm, his other hand clenching the collar of his tactical gears even tighter.

"Who's your buyer?" Steve insisted on answers first before he killed this man slowly, but Rumlow was obviously not having any of it as he chuckled, turning back to Steve.

"He knew you. Your pal, your buddy, your Bucky." Rumlow suddenly spoke as Steve's eyes narrowed, caught off guard by the man's words while Skylar clenched her hands beside her, pissed at the psycho for even thinking about bringing Bucky into this.

"What did you say?" Steve hissed, his grip on him tightening only sending Rumlow chuckling lowly.

"He remembered you. I was there, so was she. He got all weepy about it. Till they put his brain back in the blender." Rumlow nudged his head in her direction as she narrowed her eyes further, silently begging him to go on just to give her more of a reason to strangle him till his head snapped off his shoulders.

"Don't listen to him Steve." She whispered, almost pleading with him as she noticed the heartbreak on her fiances face.

"I'm surprised either one of them remembered little ole you. Stark was the best though. No matter how many times they put her mind through the blender, no matter how much she screamed, she always cried out for you." Rumlow barked in laughter as Steve growled, his arms flexing as he pulled him closer to his face.

"But Bucky, he wanted you to know something." Rumlow interrupted the shouting Steve was about to rain down on him, realizing Skylar was softly whispering to him to calm down and ignore the man, but he couldn't.

"He said to me, "Please tell Rogers, when you got to go, you got to." A sickening smirk began to grow on Rumlows face as his features swam through her fuzzy vision as her head rocked.

"And you're coming with me!" Rumlow shouted, hitting a button on his vest. Steve's eyes widened in horror as he grabbed Skylar, tossing her to the side as she let out another cry of pain, her head making contact with a broken piece of the wall before darkness engulfed her vision completely.

Wanda had showed up in that moment, stopping the explosion from hurting Steve at all before she launched the crazy man into the air as it exploded, unexpectedly destroying the south side of the building they had been fighting near. Wanda's eyes widened, her heart dropping at the destruction she had caused, her legs wiggling as she lost feeling in them sending her falling to the ground.

"Oh my…." Steve whispered in horror, his eyes widening as the screaming got louder.

"Sam. We need…..fire and rescue, on the south side of the building. We got to get up there." Steve suddenly sounded out of breath before his eyes widened when he realized there was one person missing from their group. Spinning, he ran over, sliding to the ground beside her unmoving body as his hands once more hovered around her form, not sure what to do.

"Nat! We need a medic, quick. It's Sky…she's unresponsive and bleeding." Steve hissed as he noticed the blood pooling from both her side and her hair line.

"Hurry." He sniffled, grabbing a cloth he saw on the ground, holding to her side while silently praying.

Even after all this time, even when they stood out to help the innocent, this is where they found themselves each and every time.

Why did this keep happening to them?

* * *

 **Hope it good for your first chapter back with me lol I have a bunch typed out already but haven't gotten around to adding bits and pieces of my own flare in just yet. As for where I hope Skylar to go in this story, I honestly don't know for sure at this point. I have some ideas where I want her to be in this story but nothing is set in stone just yet so if you have any opinions on where you want to see Sky, let me know. I'd love to hear from you all.**

 **Oh! And before I forget, just want to put this out there, I know with 'Tortured Sky' I was on a strict posting every Sunday. I want to try and keep to that schedule but work is seriously kicking my butt right now so I don't want to be making any promises to you all. I may post on Sundays or randomly during the week. I may post once a week, twice a week or once every 2 weeks. Not sure how it'll go just yet, just know that I won't give up on this story as long as I have your continuous support.**

 **Either than that, reviews are greatly appreciated and definitely do push me to update at a quicker pace lol**

 **~topthis808**


	2. Chapter 2

**So sorry for the late post, work and life has just been a crazy mess after another. But here it is, finally up for you to enjoy.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Pssst...this is by far my longest chapter lol pretty proud of myself right now.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

Unfortunately, the hit to her head hadn't knocked her unconscious long enough for them to transport her safely away from the explosion site. Within minutes of falling unconscious, her eyes slowly fluttered open, squinting a bit as the sunlight above, sent the throbbing pain through her head, to the forefront of her mind. Groaning, a shadow was suddenly over her, watered voices speaking out softly, though she couldn't make out one word they were saying.

What the hell had happened? Pain shot through her head once more as she attempted to move before that same pain traveled down south and to her side. Ow. Oh yeah, someone stabbed her and then she hit her head on something. Gah damn did it hurt.

"Sky?"

"Doll, answer me?"

"Ms. Stark. Can you hear us?"

Voices were constantly now coming into frame as she squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to will the pain back into the far reaches of her mind.

"She has a concussion. I suggest moving her gently to the awaiting ambulance Captain." An unfamiliar male voice entered her train of thought as she felt the arms, ones she only realized were holding her now, tighten around her form lightly.

"Cap, we'll stay back and sort this mess out. You need to get Sky back to the compound and to the medical wing immediately." That voice she immediately recognized as Sam's, though the distress on his voice did worry her a bit.

What exactly happened after she passed out?

"The medical team can escort you back to the compound Rogers. She'll be in good hands." And that voice she knew too. Thank god. For a moment there she had momentarily panicked thinking she was having one of her episodes.

Finally, her eyes seemed to cooperate as Steve's fuzzy image finally came into view. The corners of his face were fuzzy at first before they seemed to slowly sharpen till his blues met her hazels.

"Doll. Can you hear me?" He asked in concern, his brows furrowing now that he noticed she had finally woken up.

"What….what happened?" She whispered, swallowing down her dry throat as her head spun again causing her to momentarily shut her eyes.

"Ms. Stark, how many fingers am I holding up?" Another voice asked as she pried her eyes open to see someone she didn't recognize now in her range of view, a pair of fingers being held up inches from her face.

"Who the hell are you?" She couldn't stop herself from asking as the man blinked in surprise, having not expected that sort of answer from the female.

"My name is Ryan. I'm a paramedic here in Lagos." He explained, figuring answering the woman's question would also help for her to answer his own. She furrowed her brows for a moment before everything seemed to click.

The bomb.

Rumlow.

She gasped, sitting up quickly, almost bashing both Steve and Ryan in the head in the process.

"Doll, you need to lie down. Please…." Steve begged, almost wanting to pry the woman back down onto the floor and hold her there while Ryan was attempting to keep the towel tightly against her wounded side.

But neither seemed to shake her as her eyes took in the destruction in front of her.

The South side of the building they had been standing near during their argument with Rumlow, was completely destroyed. Small pieces of debris continued to fall from the dust filled sky while various locals cried and screamed for their loved ones.

Skylar's eyes panned the area, watching as the various medical personnel continued to rush in and out of the still on fire building, pulling various people, dead and alive from the wreckage. That's when her eyes landed on a young girl, maybe 9 or 10, that now laid unmoving in a line of a dozen bodies now being lined up on the pavement out front.

Her heart dropped, tears filled her eyes as a broke sob spilled from her lips.

"Don't look Doll." Steve's soft voice whispered into her ear as she forced her eyes shut, though the image of the small child continued to dance through her mind just as that boy she had killed, had.

"It's not your fault Sky. None of it is." Sam reassured her with a hand to her shoulder though she shook his hand off quickly and buried her face into Steve's chest, sobbing out uncontrollably. Ignoring the pain in her head and side from her injuries, she cried her eyes out and ignored them.

It wasn't her fault yet she knew she could have done something to stop it.

Minutes passed before anyone stepped up to say anything to the woman.

"Sky, we need to transport you to the compound for medical attention. You've lost a lot of blood." Nat's voice pulled her from her thoughts as she sniffled, slowly pulling away from Steve's chest, noticing the large wet stain she had embedded in the material of his suit.

"Romanoff and Sam will stay here and help, but I need to get you checked out as soon as possible." Steve whispered down to her, pressing his lips lightly to her uninjured side of her forehead.

"Okay." Was all that she could whisper, unable to do or say anything else as Steve and Ryan slowly helped her to her feet.

"Are you okay to walk or…." Ryan began to ask, seeing the way the woman's face was quickly paling. Steve didn't wait for the woman to answer and as gently as he could, he picked her up and into his arms.

That's when she finally noticed Wanda, sitting off to the side with a blank expression on her dirty face. She watched as the woman stared blankly ahead of her, her eyes brimmed red, dried tear stains obvious on her dirty cheeks.

"She'll be alright. I'll send her off with you." Nat instantly noticed her friends stare and smiled softly at Sky.

Nodding slowly, she turned to Wanda once more and noticed something strange. There was now a little girl standing just in front of Wanda, though it seemed that Wanda was looking completely through her as she hadn't noticed the girl. The girl waved her hand in front of the witches face before dropping her hand in confusion. That's when the girls eyes slowly turned to meet Sky's, just over Steve's shoulder. Skylar fought back the gasp of realization as she turned in the other direction, seeing the dead girl from earlier still lying unmoving in the row of deceased. Skylar's eyes snapped past Steve's concerned ones and back to the girl still standing patiently in front of Wanda.

 _"Tell her…it is okay."_ The heavy accent from the little girl broke Skylar's heart as she watched the little girl then lift her hand to touch Wanda's. As if she was in a trance, Wanda blinked a few times before looking down at her hand in confusion, swearing she had felt something cold touch it but nothing was there.

Tears welled up in Skylar's eyes once more as the girl smiled at Wanda and then at Skylar before disappearing.

True to her word, Nat personally escorted Wanda back onto the jet where the medical team was already prepping Skylar. She sat the woman down, where Steve could keep an eye on her before disappearing out the back latch.

* * *

Before long they were in the air and on their way towards the New Avengers Compound. Steve made quick work of calling in their distress signal to Tony who wasn't all too happy when he heard what happened to Sky and saw what had transpired in Lagos but in the end he promised to have a room prepped and ready for anything Skylar needed to have done.

Luckily, the damage to Skylar wasn't too severe. Her side only needed a few stitches, thankfully the blade hadn't hit anything important and her head, well, she had a mild concussion, one that the doctor on hand informed Steve would require her constant supervision for the next few weeks and tons of rest.

Once the team had cleaned their work area and stepped away, Skylar softly asked for Wanda to come a bit closer, which she hesitantly did.

"Hey." Skylar whispered from her borrowed stretcher, seeking out Wanda's puffy eyes through the mess of brunette hair.

"Hey." Wanda whispered back, less than enthusiastic as she looked back down to her hands fiddling in her lap.

"We couldn't have done anything. We did what we could." Skylar started only causing the witch to laugh dryly.

"I should have retracted that bomb somewhere else, not at the building." Wanda whispered in defeat as Skylar sighed, reaching her hand down to grab her own.

"True, but we aren't perfect. Those people, Steve, they all were in danger. You did what you thought was right. I would have done the same thing had I been conscious." Skylar joked, attempting to lighten the mood though Wanda's facial expression didn't change.

"Earlier, when they were moving me, I couldn't help but notice you looking at your hand strangely. Is it alright?" Skylar decided dancing around the bush wasn't getting her anywhere and instead went straight to the source. Wanda in turn nodded, slowly lifting said hand to look at it.

"I don't know if it was the shock or pain, but I swear I felt something cold." Wanda whispered, still confused about it herself while Skylar watched her from her pillow.

"I saw someone. Someone near you while I was being carried away." Skylar confessed as Wanda's eyes whipped up to meet hers.

"Someone?" Wanda's meek voice caught her off guard before she nodded.

"Someone I know to be dead. A little girl." It was hard to point out the fact that the ghost she had saw from that of a little girl that had passed in the explosion, but she needed to pass on the message. Wanda's heart broke at the confession, tears filling her eyes as she realized that not only adults had been killed, but also an innocent child. She had killed an innocent child.

"She held your hand and wanted me to tell you something." Skylar bit back her own tears, seeing the shattered look her friend was giving her.

"She told me to tell you….."tell her…it's okay."

She had never seen Wanda cry so much then in that moment. She hadn't been around when Pietro, her brother had passed, but seeing the woman completely break down into her chair had been the last straw. Uncontrollably tears fell from her eyes as she pushed herself to sit up, ignoring the pain or the shouting of the medical team and stepped off the bed to hug her friend.

They had gotten through worse things in the past year, they could get past this together.

* * *

The moment the jet had safely arrived at the new compound, the special medical team reserved for the Avengers came rushing out of the building and towards the jet, Tony hot on their heels.

"What did I say about being conspicuous?!" Tony immediately ranted as he ran up the now opened ramp and straight to his cousin who was now laying back in her stretcher, various medical personnel around her.

"Tony, do you even know how to be conspicuous yourself?" Skylar muttered irritated, the amount of morphine now being pumped into her blood stream causing her eyes to droop quickly.

"I'll have you know conspicuous is my middle name." He sassed back as one of the medical employees snorted from his place beside Skylar before his eyes widened when he realized he had done that out loud.

"Ooh! I like this one. Make sure to keep him will ya Tony?" Skylar groggily laughed as she tapped the arm of the now horrified employee who was all but looking for something to swallow him whole.

"I'll keep that in mind." Tony rolled his eyes, not the least bit put off by the man's reaction to his comment.

"What's the diagnostics?" Tony quickly changed the subject and asked the head doctor about his cousin while Steve helped Wanda from her seat and to one of the other medical ladies that had been waiting to escort Wanda inside.

"Ms. Stark has a laceration, about 2 inches across the right side of her forehead. We've put 13 stitches in plus 10 staples into her side. Luckily the blade didn't pierce anything of importance so she will be fine. As I've advised Captain Rogers, I would like to put Ms. Stark under strict and constant supervision for the next few weeks due to her concussion. It is not severe but the location of her injury is quite worrisome for the time being." The doctor went into full detail, handing over Skylar's notes that said doctor had jotted down himself. Tony nodded in understanding, his own eyes reading over the doctor's notes before he sighed, slightly frustrated and exhausted.

"She'll be transported to the Avengers section of the compound. A separate medical wing has been set up for her. She'll escort you to it." Tony explained as he handed back the clipboard, gesturing over to the quiet agent that had been waiting for her cue to step in. The doctor and his team nodded, unlatching Skylar's stretcher from its holding place before they began to push her slowly out the back of the jet.

Steve quickly made to follow them in before Tony's arm shot out to stop him, confusing the super soldier as the medical team got further and further.

"What the hell happened out there?" Tony immediately went into it seeing as his phone had been ringing off the hook since news on the explosion had went international.

"I have international and US governments crawling up my ass about what the hell happened out there." Tony glared hard at the man, almost begging him to bypass him to his cousin just so he could knock him back on his ass. It was way too early in the day for all this shit to be happening.

"It was Rumlow. He knew we were coming. He didn't give us much of a choice when he broke into the Lagos Disease Center and took a biological weapon. What did you want us to do Stark? Sit there and watch him use it?" Steve was getting a bit defensive though he didn't need to be at this point, but he couldn't help it. It was a very stressful day.

"No, but I also didn't expect you to go and blow up a fucking building either!" Tony snapped back, throwing his hands in the air as Steve sighed, his eyes glancing up at the ceiling of the jet momentarily.

"It was a trap. He wanted us to catch him, wanted to get back at me for dropping a building on his face. I didn't know he had a bomb with him. He set it off in the middle of a busy market with hundreds of people. Wanda did what she thought was right in the moment. We didn't expect it to end the way it did. That wasn't our plan." Steve sighed, unable to stop the way his legs were now twitching in frustration.

"Yeah, well that 'explosion' that you didn't expect to happen has now killed more than a dozen people who were, by the way, volunteers from Wakanda. Men, women and children. We don't plan for things like this to happen, but we sure as hell make sure it doesn't get to that point." Tony's eyes hardened before he turned and marched off the jet with a new purpose in his step, leaving the super soldier stewing alone in the jet.

* * *

As the doctor had suggested, Skylar was put under constant supervision by anyone that was free. Most of the time it was Steve but when the Captain had other business to attend to, Nat or Sam would find themselves having to entertain the already rabid woman that was growing sick of the same four walls for far too long.

"Dear god, just let me out of here." Skylar whined as she laid out on the couch of her and Steve's shared living room.

"You're doing fine. Just another week till your last appointment and you'll be set free." Sam mentioned from his spot on the recliner, his eyes never moving from the videogame currently flashing across the screen.

"Easy for you to stay, you haven't been stuck in this corner of the compound for more than a few hours. I've been here for 3 weeks now! I can't do this anymore. I feel like the walls are closing in on me!" She knew she was being dramatic but when you were stuck in the corner for far too long, used to being free and on the run, this was torture.

"You act like that's a bad thing. I rather be in here, chilling out and resting then running all over the past week. This is the only break I've gotten." Sam muttered under his breath annoyed while Skylar completely ignored him.

"I mean, my stitches are gone and the staples were already taken out, how much longer do I need to be here?" Skylar began kicking her legs, her heels bouncing off the leather of the seat.

"Just chill out girl, let us spoil you and wait on you." Sam smirked over at her as she glared at the man halfheartedly, her eyes flashing violet as his character in the game lagged long enough for the giant monkey to get his hands on him.

"Hey! That's not fair! Come on!" Sam shouted as he shot out of his feet, attempting to fight off the monkey who continued to beat him up.

"Damn, that's cold." Sam muttered frustrated at the woman who only smirked, feeling slightly better about being locked up.

"You were going to die anyways." She shrugged innocently, pushing herself to sit up while Sam groaned in frustration, tossing the game controller into the empty seat beside her.

"Says you, that was the furthest I got in that game. I was on a roll!" He whined, kicking his legs in frustration.

* * *

Thankfully for Skylar, another week past and Dr. Cho, who had been visiting for the time being, had cleared her of her injuries. She was so happy that she could almost dance but immediately that thought disappeared like dust in the wind when her cousin walked into medical wing, determination in his step.

"Tell me you need x-rays, anything. I don't have the patience to deal with Tony right now." She quickly muttered over to Dr. Cho, begging the woman to just throw her into a random machine, just to give herself a few more moments peace from her cousin who had been all but hounding her for the last few weeks about what had happened in Lagos. She told him all she knew, everything from when they landed to when she arrived back at the compound. Of course she left out that little piece of seeing that little girl comforting Wanda, he didn't need to know that much.

"Sorry Skylar, you're as healthy as a horse." Dr. Cho hadn't caught on to her begging and looked at her in pity as the billionaire reached their side.

"So, what's the verdict?" Tony insisted from his medical friend who only smiled up at the man.

"She's fine. Injuries have healed as they should, though she will have two new scars to add to her collection." Dr. Cho smiled kindly at Skylar who only sighed, looking around the room for a quick getaway.

"Alright, everything is shipshape, now, Sky, how about we take a walk?" Tony offered as she stared at him in suspicion.

"Uhh…I just got released from being on house arrest slash bed rest, can I do something for the first time that doesn't involve you?" She asked, already growing annoyed with her cousin as she slid off the examination table and around her cousin, placing a thankful hand on Dr. Cho's shoulder before heading to the nearest exit.

"Nope, not happening, I've been waiting for you to be released, now you're coming with me." Tony forced as he grabbed her elbow before she could get away from him and began to drag her into the opposite direction. Unfortunately for him, Skylar wasn't having any of that.

Letting off a small pulse, one she knew wouldn't hurt him too bad, she watched as he quickly retracted his hand from her arm, looking at her dumbfounded that she had used something against him.

"I said no Tony. I told you everything I know, now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with actual sunshine." She spat irritated, glaring at the man before turning, heading for the stairs.

"Sky, stop!" Tony shouted as Sky stopped on the top step, not turning around to see her cousin.

"There is something you are not telling me, something that involves something that happened between you, Rogers and Rumlow. Tell me." He insisted as her insides twisted. Both her and Steve had agreed not to bring the discussion of Bucky into light. No one needed to know and that's how she planned for it to stay.

"Like I said before, nothing more happened. I told you everything. I'm warning you, ask me once more and that little magic trick back there will be like child's play compared to what I'll do to you." She glared over her shoulder at him, threatening him to ask her once more just so she could live up to her word before she all but ran down the stairs, wanting to be as far from the man as possible.

* * *

The moment, actual sunlight hit her, all her pent up frustration and annoyance that her cousin constantly fed her, disappeared. She smiled, genuinely for the first time in weeks since being back from Lagos and basked in the sun. It was warm on her pale skin, the heat almost making her jump for joy as she shut her eyes, leaning her head back to enjoy it while she could.

"There you are doll, I've been looking everywhere for you." A familiar voice spoke up from behind her about 10 minutes after she had stepped out of the building. Opening her eyes from where she was laying randomly in the middle of the grass and tilted her head back to see her blonde super soldier marching over from the still opened door.

"I'm assuming you have been cleared by Dr. Cho or you snuck out?" Steve quirked a brow at her causing her to chuckle as she stared back up at the soft clouds floating by.

"Keep your tights on, I was cleared." She teased back, hearing him laugh as he plopped beside her, glancing at her briefly.

"And the first place you went is outside?" He asked in amusement as she smirked, turning her head to face him.

"I've been cooped up in that compound for a month, it was about time I got outside. Look at me! I swear if I was any paler, the spirits would look at me as one of their own." She held up her arm for him to see, sending him laughing as he reached up, intertwining his fingers with her hand before bringing it down to kiss the back of it.

"Not pale, beautiful." He teased with a smirk, amused with the light blush that bloomed across her features.

"Pale." She retorted with a 'hm' before she turned back to look at the clouds.

"How did the meeting go?" She suddenly inquired through their quietness as Steve sighed heavily, never turning to look at her though he could feel her eyes on him.

"Exactly how you said it would. There's a big mess to clean up." He informed her seriously as she nodded, having told him just that morning about the other men that had been assisting Rumlow, 2 of which escaped.

"Well, there is nothing we can do right now. We're just going to have to buckle down and keep an eye out for anything suspicious, maybe keep an eye on all disease centers, worldwide. They hit one, they may hit another." She offered back as he nodded in agreement.

"Already mentioned that." He reassured her, squeezing her hand once.

* * *

A few days later….

Skylar found herself waking up alone, Steve's side of the bed, cold. He must have woken up a while ago, maybe went for a run. That wasn't unusual of that man. She used to do the same till sleep became so rare with her. She found herself sleeping a lot more, well, trying to sleep anyways. She'd spend hours at night, trying to go to sleep and then when she did, there was a 89% that she'd wake up an hour later, tears and sweat pouring down her form as a nightmare plague her.

It sucked, it really did, but now she knew what Steve had been going through for so long after coming out of the ice. It wasn't fun.

Stretching her aching joints, she pried herself from the comfort of their king size bed and into the attached bathroom, knowing a hot shower was waiting for her inside.

Dressed and prepared for whatever the day had in store for her, she decided to call Nat to see if she had any plans. Surprisingly, the woman didn't answer, like she usually did.

How about Wanda then? She dialed for the witch, knowing the woman was still on edge about Lagos but found with the right company, she was slowly pulling herself out of that hole she threw herself into.

No answer.

"Huh, both not answering." She muttered to herself, sending a quick text to Sam who didn't answer within a heartbeat as he usually did.

At that, she knew something was up. Slipping into a pair of converse shoes, she stepped out of their shared corner and into the awaiting elevator.

"Friday, where is everyone?" She inquired quickly, pressing for a random floor that she might be able to find someone.

"I'm sorry Ms. Stark, I have been advised not to inform you of the team's current location." The British voice answered back as she gawked up at the ceiling, almost imagining the AI's face staring down at her. She had been advised not to tell her? Really?

Well there was more than one way to find out.

"I'm sorry about this Friday but I'm already on edge as is." She apologized to the AI before hand before her eyes flashed violet. She found it easier to use her various abilities, as the weeks went by. She easily infiltrated Friday's system, hacking into anything related to the team and found something that rendered her speechless.

"They're having a meeting with Secretary Ross?" She asked outloud, shaking her mind free of Friday before quickly stopping the elevator to head down in the opposite direction.

"I'm sorry Ms. Stark." Friday immediately apologized as she absentmindedly waved her hand at the AI.

Why was the team having a meeting without her? What was it about? Everyone was there and in attendance yet she hadn't been informed of any meeting? Steve. He hadn't gone running, he had left for this meeting. Wait, why was secretary Ross here?

She remembered meeting the man years ago with her cousin. He was as egotistical and selfish as any other political man she had met. They stood to protect the country and those in it, yet they only stood to protect themselves and their investments. With that knowledge, she found it hard to respect any person in that sort of leadership role. They always had a hidden agenda somewhere.

Almost breaking the doors down as the elevator stopped on the correct floor, she marched down the hallway, the flats of her shoes slapping the ground as she approached the room she knew they were already inside.

Coming around the corner, she already could hear their voices pouring from the last room on the right, one voice in particular standing out from the rest.

"Alright, can we start?" The older voice asked out as she all but bursted through the still opened door, startling the man that had followed Ross into the room, along with all in participation.

"Doll." Steve spoke, surprised to see her there while everyone looked her in shock, confusion and guilt. She glared at each and everyone of them before turning to the man that was silently watching her from the head of the table.

"Ah, Ms. Stark, I was informed that you would not be joining us for this particular meeting." The man addressed her with a forced smile only causing her to forcefully smile back at him. Oh how much she despised this man.

"Well I'm sorry to break it to you 'Secretary' Ross, but you have been sorely misinformed. Looks like you'll be dealing with me this time." She smirked proudly, loving the way his mustache twitched in annoyance at her words. She knew she got under his skin and boy, did she enjoy it.

"Plus, I quite miss our chats. As soon as I heard you were here, I jumped at the opportunity to see my favorite person in the world." She spun to give the man her back as she walked over, ignoring Steve's pleading eyes, and took a seat right beside him, all the while keeping her grin plastered to her face.

She knew, he wanted to say much more to her, she was begging him with her eyes to say something just to piss her off. Come on, give her a reason to jump at him.

Someone cleared their throat from behind her, pulling the two from their heated staring contest as she glanced over her shoulder to see her cousin giving her a disagreeing look.

Oh, that's grand coming from the man who lives to piss people off on a daily basis.

Flipping him the bird from under the table, she turned to face Ross who only sighed in defeat, turning back to address the room.

"Doll." Steve suddenly whispered from beside her as she shut her eyes, silently pleading herself to calm down. She couldn't believe that he just left her back in their room and didn't think to share any of this with her. What was he hiding that she couldn't be apart of it?

"Just….don't talk to me right now Steve. I'm pissed as it is and I really rather not hurt you." She warned him under her breath, taking in a deep breath as Steve stiffened in his seat, leaning away from her in defeat.

"5 years ago, I had a heart attack. I dropped right in the middle of my batting swing. Turned out, it was the best round of my life because after 13 hours of surgery and a triple bypass, I found something 40 years in the army never taught me: Perspective. The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You've... fought for us. Protected us. Risked your lives." Ross began to address the room as she peeled her eyes open, watching the man silently.

"While a great many people see you as heroes. There are some... who would prefer the word "vigilantes." Skylar couldn't help but roll her eyes at the name given to them, no less by the world's higher ups, she was sure.

"And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Nat then asked in interest as Skylar met her eyes briefly before turning to Ross.

"How about "Dangerous? What would you call a group of US-based, enhanced individuals, who routinely ignores sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind them." Ross spat out, gripping the backrest of the chair sitting in front of him as he glanced each and every one of them.

"How about heroes? We step up and do what even the world council doesn't. I don't see you or the rest of the council doing anything. We do what we do to protect this planet. It may not always end the way we want it, and we regret every single person we lose on the way, but we do it for the sole protection of this country and planet. Not for our own pleasure, Mr. Secretary." Skylar put her opinion on the table, knowing the man was currently attacking not only her, but her friends as well, especially when he threw out 'enhanced individuals' while looking particularly at Wanda. That ticked her off to no end. Secretary of State or not, she wasn't about to sit here and allow this man to put more guilt on her friends shoulders. She already felt terrible for all those people that had been caught in the cross hairs of her explosion, but it wasn't her fault.

So this is what the meeting was about? The council digging in to do something about their enhanced individuals. No wonder Steve hadn't wanted her present, she already knew where this was going now.

Ross on the other hand, stared down at her, less than amused, his mustache twitching.

"Sky. It is more than that." Rhodey whispered across the table at her, only causing her to roll her eyes as the man was so easy to roll over for the government.

"New York. Washington DC. Sokovia. Lagos." Ross ignored her once more, which only pissed her off further before he gestured to the screen behind him, naming off various places that the Avengers were well-known for having a hand in. Sokovia hit both Wanda and Skylar hard, for 2 opposite reasons. For Wanda it was personal, but for Skylar, she never stopped guilt tripping herself about not being present during that particular war, seeing as she was too busy in the hands of HYDRA. She continuously grew angrier the more times Sokovia was mentioned before he added Lagos, a video of bodies lying across the pavement outside the demolished building. Her heart fell into her chest, her eyes glistening as tears formed on her eyelids as she felt Steve sit up a bit straighter beside her, his arm immediately circling her shoulders, bringing her into his arms.

"Must I remind you, Ms. Stark, of the destruction you as an individual caused all those months ago in New York?" Ross offered as Sky's form fell rigid, her hands clenching in her lap as she glared holes at the man as Steve's arms tightened around her.

"That's a little uncalled for, don't you think Ross?" Tony finally spoke up, a bit offended that the man thought this was the time to throw something back into his cousins face, something that held the guilt of the world against her chest as is.

"Okay. That's enough." Steve commanded the older man who took in the guilt wave that was flooding the room and nodded for his assistant to shut off the video.

"For the past 4 years, you operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution." Ross snapped his fingers as his assistant handed him a packet that was then set in front of Skylar, specifically. Gently slipping out of Steve's arm, she sat up once more and glanced at the cover, reading The Sokovia Accords.

"The Sokovia accords. Approved by 117 countries. It states, that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations Panel, only when and if that Panel deems it necessary." She had been just about to ask a question about the pamphlet, only for the man in question to beat her to the punch and deliver exactly what she had feared. She scoffed once he was done talking and shook her head, handing it over to Rhodey who looked all too excited to see what was in it. Typical.

"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we've done that." Steve pressed to the room, sending a few of them nodding in agreement, especially Skylar.

"We have done that." She added in agreement, her fist lightly hitting the top of the table, her engagement ring, gleaming from the light above them.

"Tell me captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now? If I misplaced a couple of 30 mega ton nukes, you can bet there'd be consequences. Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground." Ross pushed forward, gesturing to the pamphlet that was now in Natasha's hands.

"So, there are contingencies?" Rhodey asked as Skylar took the opportunity to glance back at her cousin to see that he hadn't budged from his seat and hadn't spoken a word since the meeting started. What the hell was wrong with him? She rolled her eyes, annoyed that he wasn't saying anything when the man always had something to say and turned back to Ross who nodded to Rhodey question.

"3 days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords." He explained, taking one last look around the room, his eyes stopping on Skylar as he continued to speak.

"So, talk it over." He addressed the room though his eyes never turned from her before he began to make his way to the exit on the opposite side of the room.

"And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Nat sassed with a knowing smile, catching the man's attention as he stopped behind Sam's chair to face the woman.

"Then you retire." He sassed back, causing the woman to smile just a bit more before glancing back down at the pamphlet in her hands.

"3 days." He repeated as his disappeared from the room, leaving the group to silently sit in thought.

"This is fucking ridiculous." Skylar muttered under her breath, catching a glare from Rhodey who she only stuck her tongue at. She could care less what the military man thought of her, she never saw eye to eye with the man since the moment her cousin befriended him. He always thought he knew best, which was shit in the wind.

"Meeting in an hour. Living room." Tony announced to the room before he all but disappeared from the conference room with Vision and Wanda close behind him.

"As 'ridiculous' as you think this is, it's the right thing to do Sky." Rhodey pressed as he pushed himself to stand, her eyes snapping over to him.

"Aren't you tired of rolling over for the government or are you used to being on your back?" She spat back defensively sending the glaring back at her.

"I only do what is right, unlike you." Rhodey hissed, kicking his chair in like a hormonal teenager.

"Doing what it right and bending over is two separate things you rust bucket! Remember that!" She shouted back at him as he flipped her off from over his shoulder before disappearing out the door.

* * *

Skylar was passed pissed and just crawled up to fucking infuriated. Not only had she been purposely left out of the meeting, but now that she found out what the meeting was about, her cousin had the nerve to hold a meeting to discuss signing it. Did he seriously think signing this was a good idea?

As everyone had congregated around the shared living space, Steve naturally had offered his lap to her, one she quickly ignored seeing as she hadn't completely forgiven him for leaving her like that. She ignored his offer and set for pacing behind Wanda and Vision who were sitting on the love seat, a foot separating the two.

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have." Rhodey had been going on with Wilson for the last 10 minutes and honestly, the man's voice was beginning to chip away at the patience she had been attempting to hold on to.

"Yes, let's all bring out our special medals. Are we comparing size, is that what we're doing now?" Skylar muttered sarcastically, not caring in the least bit that Rhodey had easily heard her from across the room sending Sam smirking from his spot while Steve set her a disapproving look.

"So, let's say we agree to this thing. How long is it gonna be before they low-jack us like a bunch of common criminals?" Sam quickly retorted to Rhodey who only rolled his eyes to the ceiling, almost completely fed up with the other man.

"My guess would be, not long. They're the government, they like stabbing people in the back, it's their favorite pass time." Rhodey quickly turned to yell at her only to huff in aggravation before turning once more to Sam.

"117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like "No, it's cool….we got this." Rhodey began mocking Sam who only grew angried the longer the conversation went on.

"How long are you going to play both sides? You're either on one side or the other!" Skylar snapped, startling Steve from reading the Accords while Sam nodded in agreement, pointing blame at Rhodey.

"I have an equation." Vision suddenly spoke up, catching everyone's attention.

"Oh, this will clear it up." Skylar wasn't sure if Sam meant it seriously or he was just mocking the AI, but nonetheless, she gave the AI her full attention.

"In the 8 years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of noted enhanced persons have grown exponentially. And during the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate." Vi offered the room as she noticed Steve turn in his seat.

"Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve gawked defensively, his brow almost challenging the AI.

"I'm saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict... breeds catastrophe. Oversight. Oversight is not an idea that could be dismissed out-of-hand." Vi spoke to the room. Skylar understood what the AI was saying, she did, but it still didn't feel right. She knew she wasn't going to sign it, she knew that much, there was just too many 'maybe' and 'what-ifs' for this to be right.

"Boom." She heard Rhodey mutter to Sam as she snorted, settling back into pacing the back side the couch.

"Tony, you're being uncharacteristically non-hyper verbal." Nat pointed out with a dry laugh as the billionaire looked up from he had been lying across the couch.

"That's because he's already made up his mind." Skylar pointed out knowingly sending her cousin laughing mockingly this time.

"Boy, you know me so well." Tony remarked sarcastically as he sat up, walking into the kitchen.

"Actually, I'm nursing my electromagnetic headache." He gestured to his head as he grabbed a mug from the cabinet.

"That's what's going on, Sky. It's just pain….and discomfort." Tony murmured as he approached the sink, digging in a bit before groaning.

"Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?" Tony snapped annoyed as he left the sink with a huff and approached the edge of the counter closest to them. Tapping on his hand held, a photo of a boy showed up suddenly as she squinted her eyes, her mind taking a drift through the system, easily figuring out who the boy was and why exactly her cousin had pulled him up all of a sudden.

"Oh, that's Charles Spencer by the way. He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree. 3.6 GPA. Had a floor level gig. An Intel plan for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul. Before he parked it behind then desk. See the world, maybe be of service. Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas which is what I would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam. Sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer, building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where, Sokovia. He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. I mean, we won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass. There's no decision making process here. We need to be put in check. Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, we're boundless, we're no better than the bad guys." Tony went on a mini rampage sending Skylar sighing in frustration as she massaged the bridge of her nose, suddenly feeling like a headache was trying to wedge its way through her head. Sure, her cousin had a logical reason of choosing to sign, he felt guilty, just like the rest of them, but there was more to it than just that.

"Tony, if someone dies on your watch, you don't give up." Steve stressed from across the room as she lifted her eyes, meeting Tony's to see that he was desperately looking at her, almost silently begging her to agree with him, which she didn't.

"Who said we're giving up?" Tony asked suddenly, turning his attention back to Steve who only looked at him emotionless.

"Tony, we are, for not taking responsibility for our actions. These documents just shifts the blame." Skylar pointed down to the pamphlet of accords that sat on the coffee table between the entire group, almost mocking them all as they argued.

"Sorry. Sky, that…..that is dangerously arrogant." Rhodey of course disagreed with her as she turned her irritated gaze around to meet the man.

"This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the world security council, it's not SHEILD, it's not HYDRA." Her blood ran cold as HYDRA was suddenly brought into the equation causing her to take a threatening step towards the man, sending the lights flickering as her heart thumped loudly in her ears. She hated when that group was mentioned and the entire group knew. Steve was on his feet in a millisecond, grabbing her arms gently and pulling her to his chest to calm her down. Tony glanced over at Rhodey, clearing not amused that the man had brought that specific group into the conversation.

"No, but it's run by people with agendas and agendas change all the time." Steve answered for Skylar as he glared hard at Rhodey causing the man to lift his hands in regret for what he had said, sending the pair a silent apology.

"That's good. That's why I'm here. When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stop manufacturing them." Tony turned the conversation back to him as Skylar shrugged her arms free from Steve before stepping away from him.

"Tony. You chose to do that, remember? If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose." She gestured to the accord once more, showing how much she believed against the accord as she met each of her comrade's eyes, letting them know how serious she was. Steve smiled softly at the woman's defense for what he believed and nodded, silently letting her know that he was on her side.

"What if this Panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go? What if it's somewhere we need to go and they don't let us?" Steve offered the now silent room as everyone gazed down at the pamphlet in thought.

"We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own." Skylar softly added as she turned her eyes to meet Steve's. That's when she heard a desperate sigh from across the room and lifted her eyes, noticing her cousin hanging his head and clenching his hands in his dress pants pockets.

"If we don't do this now, it's going to be done to us later Sky. That's a fact. That won't be pretty." Tony lifted his now sad eyes to meet hers, continuing to push her to agree with him. He couldn't do this without her, not without his sister figure beside him. He couldn't imagine what would happen to her if she didn't agree with it and honestly, he didn't want to know what would happen to those that didn't agree.

"You're saying they will come for me?" Wanda suddenly asked Tony who turned to gaze at her sadly. Even he couldn't predict what would happen to the woman. She technically was responsible for what happened in Lagos.

"We will protect you." Vis promised beside her as she blushed lightly, turning to smile at the AI.

"Maybe Tony is right. If, we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off….." Nat's voice interrupted the two as Skylar sighed in defeat, having been silently praying that the woman would not agree to this.

"Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?" Sam then interjected as Nat laughed dryly, rolling her eyes before clearing her throat.

"I'm just…I'm reading the terrain. We have made some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back." Nat added, wanting the room to see where her opinion stood, though she was silently pegging herself for agreeing with Tony in the first place. The man in question guffawed at the woman's comment and turned to her surprised, leaning on the back of the couch as he stared at her in confusion.

"Focus up. I'm sorry, did I just …mishear you or did you agree with me?" Tony gawked at the woman who smiled forcefully, desperately wanting to take it back.

"Oh, I want to take it back." She laughed nervously sending the billionaire back on his feet, shaking his head as he pointed at her.

"No, no, no. You can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. I'm impressed by what you did. Okay, case closed. I win." Tony stood proudly, announcing just how proud he was that the great and all powerful Black Widow was completely agreeing with him.

Skylar watched the interaction and rolled her eyes, slightly peeved that one of her closet friends had agreed with what her cousin was saying. How could someone like the infamous Black Widow, agree to sign something that basically kept you tied down? It wasn't heard of. She massaged the sensitive scar along the side of her forehead and quickly looked over as she noticed Steve reaching into his back pocket for his phone. About to pull her eyes from him, she noticed the way his eyes widened a fraction before he paled noticeably.

Something was wrong.

"I have to go." He said solemnly before disappearing out of the room and down the stairs.

Skylar stared after him, his name on the tip of her tongue before she turned to glare at her cousin, assuming that all this arguing against him had pushed him to the edge.

"Hope you're happy." She hissed at Tony who put his hands up innocently.

"You know I'm right Sky. If you don't sign this now, I can't promise what will happen to you later." He pleaded with her as she glanced at the accords once more before snorting.

"I made my stand. Yes, we are a team but this isn't what I signed up for. We shouldn't be told where to go and where not to go. That isn't how we work. And each of you know, just as good as I do, that the government, maybe not now but in the future, will use this against us and then what? What are we supposed to do when they send us somewhere we shouldn't be or they don't allow us somewhere we need to be? We are not their errand boys, we a superheroes that live to protect this world. And in my opinion, we've been doing a pretty fucking good job. Yeah, we lost people and I regret losing them every single day but I'm not about to roll over and allow someone that has done many wrong things in the past, run our agenda. That would be an insult to those that we have sworn to protect. You know the government will use us to their benefit and not the benefit of the world. Before long we will be flying halfway across the world to kill some random person just because they got pissy over something. I'm not signing up for that shit. I didn't go through months of torture, crying, screaming, bleeding and dying just for someone to tell me how or where to use what has been given to me. Fuck that. Make all the promises you want, but my allegiance will always be to those we protect, not to those who hide behind cement walls, protecting themselves. I wasn't raised that way and you sure as hell wasn't either." She barked out defensively at Tony once more, glancing around the room quickly before running in the direction her fiancé had disappeared in, only to hear Tony curse loudly before she was completely out of hearing range.

* * *

She ran out of the room as fast as her shoes would allow, taking turn after turn before she came to a skidding halt as she heard sniffling in the stairwell just ahead. If Tony had made Steve cry, with no hesitation, she would turn around and rip his balls off and wear it as a necklace.

Slowly tiptoeing towards the still opened door, she silently peered down and saw Steve leaning over a railing, his face buried in his arms. Her heart immediately broke at the sight, ignoring the want to kill her cousin before she ran down the stairs, making her presence known as he lifted his head quickly, wiping at his face, obviously not wanting to inform her of what he had been doing.

"Meeting over already?" He asked off the subject, clearing his throat at how small his voice had come out. She sighed, stepping back next to him, quickly pinpointing the dried up tears on his cheeks and the redness around his eyes.

"Who was it? What happened?" She whispered, her hand reaching out to caress his cheek, watching as he immediately melted into her touch, his eyes shutting as he completely broke down.

She wasn't sure what happened but didn't hesitate to pull him into her arms, knowing what ever was bothering him, he just needed the comfort of someone willing to listen and hold him. One hand rubbing his back soothing, the other petting the back of his head, she stood there as a wall of comfort, just letting him cry softly into her shoulder.

"She's gone." He suddenly whispered, Skylar blinked in confusion, the sounds his voice continued to make, cutting at her heart further.

"Peg." Was the name he mentioned before she sighed, shutting her eyes as she felt her own emotions take over.

She had known, long ago just how special that woman had been to Steve since the 40s and surprisingly, she had been alright knowing that just a small piece of his heart still belonged to said woman. There was nothing she could do about it and she didn't have the heart to put up a fight about his first love. It was natural. The first person you loved would always be with you till the end of time. Plus, she knew how great of a woman Peggy had been, thanks to her uncle who constantly spoke of the woman's charm and bravery. She sounded like an older version of Natasha, plus she had saw pictures of that woman in her prime and even she immediately saw what drew Steve in like a bug to a light. She was drop dead gorgeous.

Steve had to pry himself, forcefully from Skylar's arms, seeing as she offered the best comfort that he desperately needed at the time. He held her hand, tightly in his, a way to anchor himself down to earth as they slipped into their shared corner of the compound and away from prying eyes and ears. Skylar shed herself of everything side from her tank top and underwear before she laid out on their shared bed, offering her arms to him. Steve wasted no time in climbing into bed beside her and nuzzling into her chest, finding that being closer to the woman who had his heart, helped even just a bit with the pain.

"The funeral is in 2 days in London." He whispered into her neck as she continued to card her fingers through his hair soothingly.

"I'll make our reservations today." She promised, leaning down to press her lips to his forehead.

"Our?" He asked in a whisper as she nodded against the crown of his head.

"I'm going with you. No 'ifs', 'ands', or 'buts' mister." She lightened the mood just a little, allowing the time for Steve to pass her a small smile as he placed a chaste kiss to her lips.

"Thanks doll." He thanked, shutting his eyes as he leaned his forehead against her cheek, taking in her familiar scent.

"Anything for you baby."

* * *

 **SO how was it? Hope it was alright. It's basically 11pm at night and I wrote it all within an hour, so I'm not sure if it'll live up to what you all are expecting, but I do hope so!**

 **Love to hear from you all.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Boooo...I'm sick. Sorry I didn't get this out in time, fighting a cold and flu all at the same time is a battle within itself ;_;**

 **Peggy's Funeral Scene is here. I cried when it happened in the movie and I hadn't seen it coming. I didn't want to spend a lot of time in this specific plot area only because it's heartbreaking. But I did want Skylar and Sharon to meet, lol, it'll be interesting.**

 **Here it is, next chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

Not surprisingly, the moment Sam had caught wind of their trip to London and why, he had informed her to make a reservation for him to tag along. Sam was a genuine friend, one that you couldn't find a lot in this world nowadays and she was glad that Steve had someone like him by his side. His friendship with Steve had come along way and he wanted to be there for his best mate, no matter the cause. Just the comfort of having someone there at your side at one of your lowest times, helped immensely.

Once Steve found out, he was immensely thankful to have the two by his side as they headed to the large cathedral that Peggy's funeral was being held at. It was beautiful and stood majestically above all other buildings as the trio slipped from their rented taxi and onto the curbside across the street. Sam paid the man, thanking him before the black cab sped away towards his next customer.

Skylar slipped her black hat onto her head, adjusting her dress before she grabbed Steve's hand in her own, quietly letting him know that she was here for him.

"You ready baby?" She whispered up to him, seeing the way his brows were furrowing, almost painfully at the sight of the building.

"Yeah…I'm ready." He answered back, her eyes softening when she noticed the way he had completely forced himself to answer.

"Let's head across." Sam patted the super soldier on the shoulder, pointing out the fact that traffic had completely disappeared long enough for the trio to cross without trouble. Steve nodded, taking in a deep breath before the pair finally made their way across the street, Steve's hand gripping hers like a lifeline.

The moment the trio hit the other side of the street, it was like a bomb went off on the corner. All eyes were on them as they slowly approached the stairs heading up to the large opened doors of the cathedral. Naturally, many, many people recognized the trio, almost immediately, but Steve completely ignored it, his mind here for a completely other reason.

Skylar forced on a small smile for a few people who eyed them carefully. Oh how much she wanted to yell at them for staring, but ignored the urge to snap at such a reception and instead pulled Steve into the safety of the cathedral entry way. Awkwardly the trio stood there, completely surrounded by others who were there for the funeral before Skylar nodded at Sam who took the hint and disappeared into the crowd.

Once she had made the reservations to attend the funeral, invitation only, she had then found out that Steve had been asked to be one of Peggy's pallbearers. Her heart tore at the email she received from the man organizing the funeral, knowing that Steve would naturally agree to such a favor but somewhere inside her, she couldn't help but hurt for her fiance.

Skylar kept her hand in his, wrapping her free arm around his bicep to hold him closer to her as she felt his chin rest on the crown of her head. Even if she couldn't say anything to make things better, she knew, if it were her, just having the closeness of him beside her, she would get through even the toughest situation.

Just as she felt his lips press against the skin of her forehead, she quickly noticed Sam gently pushing his way back through the crowd and towards them.

"They want all the pallbearers to gather in that side room there." Sam pointed out, gesturing over to a closed door just to the left of them. Sky and Steve glanced over before he nodded, his breath growing shallow as Skylar looked up at him painfully. She knew, it was taking everything in him just to be standing at this moment in time.

"You gonna be alright baby?" She whispered, averting her eyes from his as she felt her own tears collecting. Instead, she went into mama bear mode and began to adjust his tie, though it was laying perfectly on his chest.

"Yeah, I'll be fine Sky. Go sit with Sam." He tightly smiled down at her, pecking her forehead once more before offering her up to Sam who wrapped his arm around the woman's shoulder. Skylar on the other hand, nodded, unconvinced as she watched her fiancé stiffly disappear towards said room.

"I'm worried about him Sam." She confessed with a hand to her chest, her heart clenching for the man. Sam nodded in agreement to her words before he slowly turned her to head into the main cathedral to find their seats. They slipped into the main part of the church, smiling kindly at various people who glanced at them in shock, some they recognized from SHIELD and a few from Peggy's past, as Steve had pointed out earlier.

Skylar instantly leaned into Sam's side about halfway down the aisle, not realizing how uncomfortable it felt to be there before they took a seat in an empty bench at the very front. Supposedly, from what Sam had mentioned, the seats had been reserved for Steve and his two guests.

Skylar sat at the end, Sam right beside her, the two of them glancing around the room, unsure what to do before Skylar finally noticed a woman sitting up beside the Preacher. She knew that woman from somewhere, but where? That's when it hit her like a ton of bricks.

Sharon Carter.

"You know Carter too?" Sam suddenly asked, startling her from her thoughts as she glanced at him confused. How did Sam know her? Surely he hadn't been with SHIELD long enough to know the woman who now worked for the CIA and FBI.

"Too?" She asked confused as the man nodded, adjusting his suit coat.

"She had a thing for Steve back when the whole 'falling of shield' thing happened. Tried to ask him out and everything. Didn't he tell you?" Sam looked at her confused this time as she slowly shook her head, having only heard about this for the first time from him. Sam immediately regretted bringing up the woman's actions as he saw the wheels turning in his friends head, her eyes narrowing even just a smidge up at the woman who was silently conversing with the preacher.

No, Steve hadn't told her about Sharon Carter. She had only known the woman because Fury had introduced the two sometime ago when she first had come out of hiding, as she put it. She had been training for some time and Skylar was always busy with missions so she never met the woman or even came across her till she had walked into Fury's office one day to see the blonde speaking with the former director. But now, she was finding out that the very woman had, possibly, put the moves on her fiancé, she was slightly peeved that Steve hadn't mentioned it before Sam. She shut her eyes, listening to what Sam was saying and took in a deep breath. No, she wouldn't do this here, she wasn't about to make a scene during one of Steve's most important events, so to speak. Peggy meant a lot to him and she wasn't about to allow jealousy to reign its ugly head while they mourned for an incredible woman.

"Hey, hey, hey. Calm down. Steve told the woman he was spoken for. Jesus. Steve is gonna kill me." He attempted to calm a slightly jealous and territorial Skylar down before muttering the last part under his breath.

Soon, the choir, who they had passed on their way in began to sing, causing the entire group of mourners to turn towards the entrance. The giant double doors slid open before Peggy's coffin was carried in by Steve and 5 other men she didn't recognize. Skylar held a hand to her chest as they slowly walked down the middle aisle to the front, where she could see the way Steve was fighting not to burst into tears. In an almost sick way, she knew this was torture for him. To carry the coffin of the woman he used to love. Her heart continued to break for him as tears spilled down her cheeks and into her lap. She didn't even bother to clean her smudged makeup, what was the point? Though she didn't know the woman personally, she knew she had meant the world to Steve at one point in his life and like her that life was stolen from him thanks to HYDRA.

Once her coffin was placed where it should, the pallbearers were excused back into the crowd as Sam slid over, with Skylar sliding over with him. Steve took a seat beside Skylar heavily, not wasting anytime in grabbing her hand in his before burying his face into her shoulder.

"I'm sorry baby." She whispered heartbroken while he softly sniffled into her hair.

That's when the preacher stepped up to the mic and began to speak to the full crowd. He went on to pray for Peggy's family and promise those that were mourning that she was no longer suffering and was in a better place. Skylar side-eyed Steve through that and bit her lip as she watched the tears fill his eyes once more.

"And now, I would like to invite Sharon Carter, to come up and say a few words." The Preacher ended as Skylar's eyes sought out the woman who smiled softly at the preacher as she passed him to the mic. Sam, quickly reached behind Skylar, tapping Steve's shoulder to get the man's attention. Steve, lifted his sad eyes to Sam only to see the man nudging his head towards the podium where the woman was now staring down at him like he was the only man in the room.

"Margaret Carter was known to most as a founder of SHIELD. But I just knew her as Aunt Peggy." Sharon offered the room, lighting a torch under Steve's butt as he sat up in realization. He turned to peer at Skylar, only to find her staring emotionlessly at Sharon who was now trying to avert her eyes from the woman's intense stare. Steve kissed her cheek, attempting to gather her attention, though it did nothing but receive a quick hand squeeze from her. Sam on the other hand, mouthed a silent 'I'm sorry' to Steve who in turn blinked before paling in horror when he realized why Sam had been sorry.

Damn.

"She had a photograph in her office. Aunt Peggy standing next to JFK. As a kid, that was pretty cool. But, it was a lot to live up to. Which is why I never told anyone we were related. I asked her once how she managed to master diplomacy and espionage at a time when no one wanted to see a woman succeed at either. And she said, compromise when you can. When you can't, don't. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move. It is your duty, to plant yourself like a tree, look them in they eye and say, " No... ...you move." Once again Sharon's eyes sought out Steve's whose eyes were already directed at her. But they didn't stay there for long as violet orbs glared holes through the woman's form.

Once the funeral had ended and everyone began to file out of the cathedral, Sam made a beeline for the exit, informing the pair that he was going to head back to the hotel and rest up a bit. Skylar hugged the man, thanking him for coming along with Steve before the two were the last two in the church. Skylar and Steve both wanted to bring up the elephant in the room, but Skylar didn't have to heart to bring up this particular argument at the current time. It could wait till they were back home in their own room, where she would tear into him slowly for answers. Steve instead, knew Skylar would breach the question when she wanted to. Pulling it out from her would do no one any favors. He cleared his throat, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, just grateful to have her here with him before the sound of heels approaching turned their attention to the main door.

Skylar blinked in surprise by the sudden visitor while Steve sighed, hanging his head before turning.

"Nat." Skylar whispered as the woman smiled gently at her, grabbing her hand briefly.

"When I came out of the ice, thought I wanted to ignore she was gone. When I found out that she was alive, I was just lucky to have her." Steve suddenly mentioned out of the blue, gathering the attention of the two women who looked to see him staring at Peggy's picture still sitting at the front of the room.

"She'd had you back too." Nat reassured the man who only passed her a thin smile.

"Who else signed it?" Steve then asked, grabbing Skylar's hand and pulling her into his side, feeling her quickly melt into him.

"Tony, Rhodey, Vision." Nat red off, intertwining her arms behind her back.

"Clint?" Skylar asked in interest as Nat scoffed through a smile.

"Says he's retired." Nat remarked dryly as Skylar rolled her eyes.

"Retired my as—" Skylar begun before Steve pinched her ass, cutting her off before she could completely curse. She in turned, glared up at him halfheartedly.

"And Wanda?" Steve turned back to Nat who sighed and shook her head.

"TBD. (To Be Determined) I'm off to Vienna for the signing of the Accords. There is plenty of room on the jet." Nat offered the two as Skylar immediately shook her head, though Nat wasn't the least bit surprised.

"Just because it's the path of least resistance does mean it's the wrong path. Staying together is more important than how we stay together. What are we giving up to do it?" Nat added, looking to her friend a bit longer before turning to Steve who only sighed.

"Sorry, Nat. I can't sign it. Neither of us can." Steve pulled Skylar closer to his side for emphasis as the assassin peered back and forth between the two with a smile.

"I know." She answered, having already known that their minds had been made up long ago.

"Well, then. What are you doing here?" Skylar asked suspiciously, sending her friend laughing softly.

"A good friend of mine is mourning. I came to show him my support." She confessed pulling a smile from both the super soldier and Skylar. Steve let go of Skylar long enough to hug the woman who patted his back in comfort. They separated before Skylar pulled the woman into her own hug.

"Sure you don't want to tag along with me to Vienna? I could use your abilities of persuasion." Nat pulled away jokingly as Skylar scoffed amused.

"You know I would have nothing nice to say to people who want us to sign our freedom to choose, away." Skylar offered back as Nat chuckled and nodded.

"Well, can't say I didn't try. Jet leaves in 20 minutes, if you change your mind." She added with a smirk, winking at the pair before she made herself scarce and headed back in the direction she came in.

* * *

30 minutes later…

"Let's head back to the hotel. I think there is a few things we should talk about." Steve offered, his hand seeking her own out as she lifted her hazel eyes lifted to meet his.

"You have a lot of explaining to do mister." She squeezed his hand for emphasis as they stepped out of the church, Skylar's feet rooted to the top step as she noticed who had been obviously waiting for them just out front.

"Great." She sighed under his breath defensively before Steve turned, noticing Sharon who was smiling up at him shyly.

"Doll…" Steve desperately wanted to beg her not to do something with so many reporters nearby, but Sky just sighed and shook her head.

"Don't worry. I won't do anything to her. Not with these many cameras around." She hissed the last part under her breath, releasing Steve's hand as she strolled down the stairs, ignoring the cameras flashing at her from both sides.

"Doll…." He whined in concern, trotting down the stairs to meet Skylar who only forcefully smiled at Sharon before waving down a cab who luckily had been driving by at the time.

"Cap. It's nice to see you once again." Sharon's voice sent a hiss of annoyance down Skylar's spine as she pulled open the back door of said cab, glancing at Steve with a 'hurry-the-hell-up' look. Steve didn't have the heart to ignore the woman and smiled apologetically at Skylar who only looked like she was out to kill.

"Nice to see you too." He smiled forcefully as she turned to Sky, nodding her head at the woman as a silent acknowledgement.

"Could we talk for a bit?" She then asked hesitantly, trying to ignore the pair of violet eyes baring holes into the back of her head.

"Actually, we're heading back to our hotel to rest up…." Steve lied, knowing Skylar was moments away from bursting a vein at how red she was turning.

"Oh! Well, I'm staying at the hotel next door, mind if I catch a ride?" She asked sweetly as Skylar rolled her eyes to the sky, muttering curses under her breath as she climbed into the back of the cab, slamming the door shut.

"I'll meet you back at the hotel." Skylar called out the window, not having the heart to face them or hear Steve calling for her to stop before she informed the driver to leave.

"Guess we're walking." Sharon murmured as she watched the woman drive away before turning to Steve who stared emotionlessly at the cab disappearing in the distance. He screwed up, that much he knew.

But being the gentleman he was, he walked Sharon towards her hotel while the two chatted shortly, his hand fidgeting with his cellphone in his pocket, waiting for Skylar to call him, more like hoping she'd call. He knew how pissed off she was.

"My mom tried to talk me on enlisting, but... not aunt Peggy. She brought me my first thigh holster." Sharon commented as they slipped into the lobby area of her hotel, his eyes scanning the sidewalk of their own hotel, searching for his violet eyed woman, not seeing her.

"Very practical." Steve offered with a small smile as Sharon smiled and nodded.

"And very stylish." She added back.

"CIA has you stationed over here now?" Steve naturally inquired of her as she smiled, shaking her head.

"In Berlin, joint terrorist and task force." She explained as he nodded with a smile.

"Right. - Sounds fun." Though he meant it to be sarcastic, it came out sounding as if he was more invested in her life then need be.

"I know, right?" She chuckled from beside him, her smile reaching her eyes.

"I've been meaning to ask you. When you were spying on me from across the hall..." Steve then asked, the question having been bugging him for the longest time. Sharon chuckled again, glancing up at him amused.

"You mean when I was doing my job?" She retorted as he laughed through a snort. Okay. Working.

"Did Peggy know?" They stopped just outside the elevators, his eyes seeking out her own, sadness washing through them both.

"She kept so many secrets. I didn't want her to keep one from you. - Thanks for walking me back." Sharon confessed with a small smile, thanking him as he nodded, glancing down to his dress shoes.

"Sure." He added as she smiled, glancing him up and down then behind him.

"And I'm sorry for your date digging out on you. I didn't mean to intrude." She apologized as he lifted his eyes and gently smiled.

"She's my fiancé now." He confessed, watching the way her eyes widen in surprise and shock.

"Fiance?" She asked shocked as he grinned and nodded.

"We plan on getting married sometime in the winter next year, well that's the plan anyways." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"She….she seems like a wonderful woman." Though Sharon hadn't spent a lot of time with the woman, from what she knew through SHEILD files, the woman was a force to be reckoned with, just like her aunt.

"She is." He nodded proudly before the sound of someone running up behind them shook them from their conversation.

* * *

Skylar unlocked their shared suite with Sam, pushing open the door while still grumbling under her breath before slamming it shut, startling the man who had been in the middle of pouring himself a glass of water.

"Guys?" He asked unsure, peeking around the corner of the kitchen with his glass to his lips, surprised to see Skylar, alone and looking like she was about to rip through the wall with her fingernails.

"Hey, what's up?" He asked hesitantly, placing his glass down before slowly approaching the woman who was now fighting to get her coat off.

"Son of a bitch!" She cursed, pulling it from her form and tossing it to the ground, not having the patience to even bother hanging it up before she brushed past Sam, as if she hadn't even seen him.

"Oh god." Sam muttered worried, staring at the door a moment longer, praying Steve was about to walk through it. No such luck.

"Great." He turned to peer over his shoulder to see her disappear into her shared room with Steve, the television turning on seconds later.

"Do I even want to know what happened? Should I be booking a flight back to New York now?" Sam asked, hesitantly peeking into the room to see Skylar sitting at the foot of the bed, glaring lasers at the television screen.

"The nerve of that woman." She hissed under her breath, pushing the buttons of the control like they had wronged her.

"Who?" Sam pushed, stepping further into the room, his eyes watching her like a rapid animal. She tossed the control aimlessly onto the bed behind her, uncaring about the channel she had landed on, the news before looking around the room in question.

"I mean, why didn't he tell me about her? Was it that hard? He probably knew I'd flip. Pffft, typical guy. And then she just showed up and started talking to him, don't mind me, I'm just a fly on the wall. Then she had the nerve to ask for a ride to her hotel because she had to 'talk to him'. I barely know the woman and already I want to strangle her. Bitch. Whore. Try and steal him from me. Not even the CIA will save you." Skylar grumbled, spat, growled and mocked as she ranted while Sam just stared at her, letting her vent out a bit, immediately realizing who she was speaking of.

"So I'm assuming that Steve gave her a ride home?" Sam perked a brow, watching the way her eyes flashed to violet as she slowly and menacingly turned her glare on him.

"What do you think Sam? That man didn't even have the balls to tell her 'No, sorry, I'm with my fiancé." She growled, the television buzzing at the power surging through it, the lights in the entire suite flashing briefly.

"Uh Sky, not to break up on the jealous rage but we are only 'renting' this room." Sam nervously chuckling, not wanting to deal with having to whip up a believable story about why all the electrical devices in the room exploded.

Skylar, hearing him, groaned in annoyance, throwing herself back onto the bed. She shut her eyes, taking in a loud breath before releasing it just as loudly, attempting to calm herself down.

"What am I going to do about that man?" She muttered with her eyes still shut, Sam opening his mouth to answer before voices on the television caught his attention.

"Just a few moments ago, The UN building in Vienna sustained a large explosion, injuring 70 and killing 12." The reporter on the television explained as she stood just in front of what was left of the United Nations Building.

"Sky! Look!" Sam shouted, marching the rest of the way into her room, turning the television even louder as Skylar peeked out, uninterested before realizing exactly where that particular explosion had been.

"Nat's there!" She gasped, a hand over her mouth as she scrambled across the bed for her cellphone, about to call for her friend only for a familiar face to cross the screen.

"The suspect behind the explosion has been identified as the infamous James Buchanan Barnes, better known as the HYDRA agent, The Winter Soldier. FBI, CIA and Special Forces are out searching for said man to bring him in for questioning." A photo from a CCTV near the UN flashed onto the screen causing Skylar's eyes to widen, her cellphone slipping from her hand and clattering to the ground.

"Oh my god…that's….Bucky." She whispered in horror, the blood rushing into her ears as she continued to watch the newscaster talk, gesturing over her shoulder to the destruction that was left behind.

"Sam." She whispered, blinking back the tears as she pulled herself to stand on shaky legs.

"Find Steve, quick." She begged desperately sending Sam barreling through the room towards the door without any hesitation.

"She is."

Sam slid to a stop as soon as he saw the Captain and what he recognized, to be the woman from the funeral earlier.

"Sam." Steve addressed in surprise, taking in the way the man was sweating profusely.

"Everything alright?" Steve asked in concern as Sam nodded to Sharon briefly before shaking his head to Steve.

"There's something you gotta see."

* * *

 **Yes, I had to have Skylar showcase just a bit of jealous rage lol I love her when she's jealous, it's entertaining. Anyways, I'm slowly trying to figure out where I'm gonna put Skylar from this point on but we'll see exactly where she ends up.**

 **Reviews are welcomed!**

 **See yah next week~**


	4. Chapter 4

**A bit on the short side for this update and extremely late, I know! I apologize, it's been crazy these past couple weeks with school and work. Ugh. The life of a mother with a full time job.**

 **But, here it is. My update. Short but to the point.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters**

* * *

He gestured over his shoulder in seriousness before turning to run back towards their room, hearing Steve quickly following him, though an extra pair of feet were also close behind the two men.

The three ran through the lobby, out onto the street before entering their hotel next door, taking the first elevator up. Sam glanced at Sharon before meeting Cap's eyes with a quirked brow, shaking his head, letting the man know that letting that woman into the room with Sky, probably wasn't the best idea at the moment. Steve, having recognized the look, sighed in defeat, shutting his eyes as he knew what they were walking into if Sharon tagged along, but honestly, how could he tell her to leave?

The ding of the elevator echoed through the awkward silence before the trio ran off the elevator and down the hallway to the last door. Sam unlocked it quickly, pushing it open, before calling out for the woman.

"Sky! I found him!" Sam shouted as Steve pushed past Sam in worry, running into his shared room with Sky to see her sitting on the floor, her wide eyes staring at the screen of the television.

"Doll, look at me. What is it?" He asked, about to kneel in front of her, his eyes in a panic before she pushed him away, pointing frantically at the television behind him. Blinking in confusion, he slowly stood to his full height before turning to the television as nausea took hold of his spine.

"A bomb hidden in a news van." The woman on the television offered as the camera panned to the van in question, Steve's eyes taking in the scene, his jaw clenching.

"It's Bucky. They say he's behind the explosion." Skylar whispered as she nibbled on the tip of her thumb, her eyes panning back and forth across the screen while Steve swallowed heavily as the photo of Bucky from earlier popped up again.

"...blast through the UN building in Vienna." The woman's voice entered the conversation as Steve turned from the screen to Sharon who was silently standing with her phone to her ear.

"Who's coordinating?" Sharon immediately asked into the phone.

"Good. They're solid. Forensics?" She then asked as Skylar narrowed her eyes, intently watching the woman as her eyes flashed violet.

"More than 70 people have been injured. At least 12 are dead. Including Wakanda's King T'Chaka. Officials have released a video of a suspect, identified as James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter soldier. The infamous HYDRA agent, linked to numerous acts of terrorism and political assassinations." The reporter continued as Skylar collapsed back against the bed, her eyes swimming back and forth from hazel to violet, her emotions out of control.

"I have to go to work." Sharon announced as she pulled her phone away from her ear.

Skylar's violet eyes flashed up to her, threatening her silently to leave the room before she did something she would regret.

"Alright." Steve answered softly, stepping in front of Skylar, blocking the woman from view as he reached back to hold her hands, pleading her not to do something at this moment. Sharon smiled once more before leaving the room, the door silently shutting behind her.

"Doll. Come on." Steve turned, kneeling in front of her in concern.

"I'm not going to fight with you about her right now. Bucky is out there and needs our help." Skylar pushed him gently away, standing to face the television again.

"You want to help him? This is the guy that just blew up the United Nations Building and killed the Wakanda King on top of that. If anything, that man needs some mental help, in prison." Sam scoffed at Skylar's words. The two other's turned and glared at the man who quickly shut up.

"It wasn't Bucky, I know it wasn't him."

* * *

Skylar knew it wasn't Bucky, something inside her told her it wasn't and she trusted it with her life. If she could get close enough to the explosion site, maybe just maybe she may be able to tap into some of the cameras around the area, more specifically, the one that they had 'supposedly' pulled Bucky's photo from and see if it was real.

Soon after the news story cut to a commercial, Skylar was on the phone booking them a flight to Vienna immediately. Consequence be damned. She knew, Steve wanted nothing more than to be where Bucky was.

"You had said at one time that you knew where Bucky was. It was Vienna?" Steve asked from behind her once she had hung up with the airlines. Slowly turning to face him, she met his blues before shaking her head.

"No, it's not Vienna. Bucharest." She confessed, walking over to their suitcases, opening them on the bed before going through the closets and drawers, pulling their things out and tossing them into their respective bags.

"Bucharest?" Steve asked confused as she nodded, never looking up to meet his gaze.

"When I was in HYDRA, the last thing he told me before they pulled him for the mission at the Triskelion was 'Sky. I'll get you out. Soon. If we don't meet and you escape, remember, Bucharest.' " She repeated the exact words that Bucky spoke to her in that HYDRA training room, his voice still clear as day as it repeated through her mind.

Steve silently watched as she walked back and forth across the room, quietly packing their bags.

"And what Rumlow said, about him remembering me. Why didn't you tell me?" Steve's voice lowered as he asked a question that had been nagging at the back of his mind. Skylar froze at the edge of the bed, staring down at the coat in her arms as memories of that time flashed through her mind unwillingly. Shutting her eyes against the pain the memories brought her, she took a shaky breath in, unable to meet his eyes.

"The first time I heard him yelling, I didn't know it was him. My first thought, it was just another hostage that HYDRA was torturing for answers again. That wasn't something unheard of there." Her voice lowered further, tears filling her eyes as she gripped the coat in her hands.

"But then, I heard him yell your name for the first time and without seeing him, I somehow knew it was him. After that first time, I tried to make sense of it since you had told me time and time again that you watched him fall from that train 70 years ago. I couldn't make sense of it and considered it being that I was losing my mind in that place. Nothing ever made sense there." The tears slowly slid down her cheeks, dropping onto her blouse as she continued to face away from him.

"Then, weeks later, they threw me into a room and told me to fight for a life. They were testing out what they had done to me. When they threw another person in with me, I didn't know it was him until halfway through our fighting, I had ripped his face mask off. I thought I had seen a ghost." She sniffled, unable to hide the fact that she was crying any longer.

"He looked at me blankly but I recognized him right off the bat from your photos. I called out his name and pain immediately flashed through his face. I didn't see him for weeks after that. They put my mind through the blender again, attempting to rid his memory from my mind, but it didn't. Every time I saw him, I remembered everything, everyone, you. He yelled for you each and every time they put him in that chair." She let a sob rip from between her lips as she dropped the coat to the ground, her hands flying up to cover her mouth before she felt Steve take the two steps it took to get to her and wrapped her into his embrace from behind.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. It hurt…..I couldn't." She sobbed, turning in his arms to bury her face into his chest, cracking his heart further. He had no idea how much pain she had truly been holding in. She experienced Bucky's torture first hand and still smiled like she was fine each and every day. He couldn't imagine how hard holding in something like that was.

 _Knock Knock_

A light tapping noise echoed through the room as Steve pulled his lips back from the crown of her head, peering over his shoulder to see Sam sadly smiling at the pair.

"Our flight leaves in 20 mins. There's a car waiting downstairs for us." He informed Steve who nodded, turning back to Skylar who had quieted down significantly while wiping her eyes clean.

"We'll talk later, right now, Bucky needs you." She whispered, still unable to meet his eyes as she tried to push past him. But Steve wasn't having any of that right now. He wasn't going to let her drown in her guilt of not telling him what she had been hiding all this time. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her back in front of her, his free hand grabbing the side of her neck as he pulled her flush against him, his lips immediately molding into hers. Sky's eyes widened in surprise, having not expected the man to kiss her suddenly, especially after everything she had confessed, but nonetheless, feeling his lips pressed against hers so desperately after such a long time, she didn't have the energy to pull away and complain.

Shutting her eyes slowly, she melted into the kiss, her lips finally joining the dance of his own, tongues and teeth acquainting themselves once again before Steve was the one to pull away. Sky's lips naturally leaned forward, searching for his own before her lashes fluttered, violet meeting blues. Steve smiled down at her adoringly, caressing her cheek before placing one chaste kiss to her swollen lips.

"There is nothing to talk about. Thank you for telling me about Bucky doll. I'm glad he had you, even just for a bit." He confessed under his breath.

"Let's go." He hummed over at her as she slowly nodded.

* * *

The trio had arrived in Vienna in record time, dressed to the nines in what they assumed to be a disguise. Well, Skylar knew she was in a real disgust, going as far as buying a blonde wig and cap to slip over her head. With sunglasses in place, she was completely unrecognizable, though she couldn't say the same for the two men with her. Honestly, she wanted to know who had told them that a cap and sunglasses was considered a disguise. She'd like to slap some sense into said person.

"Just here is fine, thank you." She stopped the taxi driver who only nodded, pulling safely to the side as Sam and Steve looked at her confused. Why were they stopping so far from the explosion site?

"Did you two seriously think it was a good idea to get that close?" She muttered under her breath, pulling out the needed bills before handing it over to the driver who thanked her immensely when she paid him double, pushing him to keep the change.

"Well no, but this is a bit much." Sam mumbled under his breath as he climbed out the opposite side, shutting the door before jogging around the back side of the cab to the sidewalk.

"Well, I had an idea. Walking is a bit less obvious don't you think?" She mocked back as she shut the door, thanking the man for driving them before he pulled away from the curb and into the distance.

"What idea?" Steve then asked as he shoved his hands into his coat pocket, his eyes gazing around the area from behind his glasses.

"You would figure that if they had cameras at the UN building that there is a possibility that maybe some of the surrounding businesses or street lights would also have some." She mentioned, turning on her heel without another word and began to walk in the direction of the cloud of smoke still piling into the air.

"Well, naturally they would back home but this isn't America Sky." Sam ran to catch up with her before walking beside her.

"True but even in Vienna it is a possibility." She answered, her eyes whipping around for any cameras in sight.

"Alright and if we find these cameras, what do you plan on doing?" Steve then asked from her other side as she peered up at him from under her hat.

"You forget so easily honey." She shook her head in mock disappointment, going as far as clicking her tongue.

"If they somehow caught Bucky on tape exiting the van they claim the bomb had come from, I want to see if I can tap into any of the surrounding cameras for added proof that he really was here." She explained sending Steve's eyes widening when he realized he hadn't thought of going that far.

"What proof do you need? It's all over the news." Sam muttered under his breath, stepping out of the way of a passing biker.

"Yes, we've all seen it but something in me is telling me it wasn't him. It couldn't be him. I just need to see it for myself." Skylar was bound determined to get her answers whether they agreed with her or not, she didn't care. Bucky had saved her life on more than one occasion, she needed to see it for herself.

Skylar went through about half a dozen cameras from various shops and street corners before they finally reached the corner block where the now crumbling UN building stood at the very end.

"Anything?" Steve whispered as he planted his back to the wall, eyes suspiciously glancing around in guard as Skylar tapped into the camera belonging to the coffee shop across the road.

"Nothing. I don't see Bucky on any of them, but the weird thing is, the person driving the van wasn't Bucky." She whispered, looking at Steve in a panic as said man looked to her in confusion.

"There was another person in the van?" Sam then asked in shocked as she rubbed her temple and nodded.

"Bucky wasn't anywhere in the van, in every camera I checked. There was only one man there but I've never seen him before." Skylar shook her head, her mind weaving at the amount of energy she had to use to tap into every tape.

"Do you know what he looks like though doll?" Steve then asked, grabbing her shoulders gently in comfort.

"Yes, I know what he looks like." She answered immediately as Steve nodded, glancing around before Sam seemed to take the hint, gesturing for them to head into the coffee shop across the road.

"Come on." Steve wrapped his arm around her shoulder and began to escort her across the road and into the packed café, the trio finding an empty corner of the bar top where they ordered a few pastries and coffee.

In the meantime, Steve kindly asked the employee working behind the counter for a pen and napkin, which he passed to Skylar soon after.

"Could you attempt to sketch the man's face? Even just the prominent parts just to give us an idea of what he looks like?" Steve then asked softly as Skylar looked up at him surprised before nodding, taking the pen from his hand.

"You know I'm rubbish at art but I'll try." She pressed before pushing her phone across the bar top to him.

"Call Nat, see if she's okay." She retorted, seeing the way he stiffened in hesitation.

"I know you want to make sure she is okay just as much as I do." Skylar pushed as the large man sighed in defeat, knowing she was completely right.

"Alright. Stay with Sam." He admitted defeat and took her phone, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Of course, not like I was going anywhere." She mumbled as she watched him disappear out the door and around the corner.

"How sure are you that it's not Barnes?" Sam then inquired suddenly as she glanced up from her attempted drawing, meeting his chocolate orbs.

"110% sure." She didn't hesitate to answer the man as she turned back to the drawing.

"And if he isn't here, you know exactly where he is?" He then asked in interest as she nodded down to her drawing.

"It's not Vienna." She reassured quickly as Sam nodded just as Steve appeared back at her side.

"Did she tell you to stay out of it? Might have a point." Sam pushed as Skylar snorted into her mug.

"He'd do it for me." Steve answered back, not the least bit swayed by Sam's comment.

"1945, maybe. I just want to make sure we considered all our options because the people that shoot at you, usually wind up shooting at me too. Not to mention the added fact that we have Skylar with us this time." Sam murmured the last part as she turned to him with a soft scoff.

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much." She retorted back under her breath as Sam snorted back.

"It's not you I'm worried about. What about those on the opposing end of you?" He teased as she glared at him halfheartedly before someone cleared their throat nearby. Skylar spun, her neck snapping to the empty space beside Steve to see the blonde woman from earlier, staring at the bartender with a soft smile, a manila folder under her palms.

"Tips have been pouring in since the footage went public. Everybody thinks the Winter soldier goes to their gym. Most of it is noise, except for this. My boss expects a briefing pretty much now so... that's all the answer you're going to get." She softly spoke, pushing the folder towards Steve who took it slowly.

"Thank you." Steve thanked as Skylar growled into her mug, catching Sam's attention.

"Calm down girl." He whispered as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"And you're going to have to hurry. We have orders to shoot on sight." Sharon lastly added before Skylar's jaw flexed along with Steve.

They were planning on killing Bucky.

* * *

 **Dun Dun Dun! Haha, I know we all know where the storyline is going from here on out. I plan on keeping it as close to the storyline as possible with the added note of Skylar now being in the picture. It'll get crazy from here on out.**

 **Until the next time~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Decided to update just a bit earlier than usual this week. Day off today and quickly whipped up the next chapter, tho it's short ;_; Getting closer to finally bringing Bucky into the mix, so I'm EXCITED!**

 **Not sure if i'll be updating once more this weekend, but incase I don't, hope this chapter holds you all over!**

 **Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

They waited till Sharon disappeared out of the café before Steve peeled open the manila folder, his eyes quickly scanning the papers inside.

"See, Bucharest." She mentioned over his shoulder, pointing the bold print of location in the top corner.

"You know where he is exactly doll? Address? Anything?" Steve was beginning to panic. If the CIA already had this much info on his friend, he knew they were already a step behind and CIA was en-route to killing an innocent man.

"I could find out once we are there." She promised with a nod, folding the napkin drawing before slipping it into her coat pocket.

"We need to get to Bucharest now." Steve stood from his seat, grabbing her hand before pulling her out of the café and onto the sidewalk where she froze when she noticed someone, familiar yet not familiar standing just off to the side, staring at the crumpled building down the block. She blinked her eyes a few times, going as far as rubbing them before she opened them to see the same man standing there silently, no one seeming to pass him a glance as they rushed by.

"Doll, come on." Steve urged as she shook her head, pulling her hand free from his.

"What's wrong Sky? Who is it?" Steve then asked in full defense, his eyes whipping around when he noticed the look on her face.

"The Kind of Wakanda…." She whispered taking a step in the direction the man was still standing in.

Both Sam and Steve looked at each other flabbergasted, both knowing that the man had passed in the explosion.

"You see his spirit, doll?" Steve then asked for reassurance as Skylar nodded, staring at the man's figure.

"He's standing at the corner, watching everyone." She pointed over in the direction he was as the two men turned to see the corner completely empty of anyone that fit the man's description.

"I need….I want to go over and talk to him." She turned, quickly looking at Steve before her eyes snapped over to the man, making sure she didn't lose sight of him.

"No Sky, we don't have the time. Bucky." Steve stepped up to her, heartache in his eyes as he watched the various emotions cross his features.

"I know baby, but he can tell me who really did it, for sure." She preached as his eyes widened just a fraction, having not realized that this specific man could possibly tell them who really had done it.

Steve sighed, shutting his eyes before stepping out of her way as Sam looked at the man surprised.

"Dude, we need to get to Bucharest, like yesterday." Sam ranted as Steve put his hand up, stopping the man's words.

"I'll just be a second, promise." She patted Sam's shoulder before she took off jogging towards the man who hadn't moved since she noticed him.

Slowing to a walk, she hesitantly stepped up beside him, recognizing his face even more as she got closer.

"I assumed you could see me." His voice startled her as she hadn't realized he had seen her staring at him from across the street.

"I can." She answered softly, smiling as he turned to face her.

"You are Skylar Stark, one of the Avengers." He pointed out in recognition as she nodded, bowing her head in respect to him.

"I'm sorry about what happened in Lagos on our behalf and I am sorry for what has happened to you today." She quickly apologized to the man that sent her a warm smile in return.

"Thank you." He thanked as she nodded, watching as he turned to stare at the scene again.

"I hope I am not overstepping my boundaries, but I am wondering if you know who has done this to you?" She asked softly, watching the way he blinked a few times before side eying her.

"It is not who they suspect it is, your friend James. He is innocent in this all." The man confirmed exactly what she knew sending her sighing in relief.

"My son now hunts an innocent man in hopes to avenge my lost soul. Will you do me a favor if you ever come across him?" He then asked as she looked at him confused. What would make him think that she would come into contact with his son anytime soon?

"Sure." She answered anyways.

"Tell him 'Revenge is a silent confession of pain but it is not the right way to go. We go through life knowing that those around us will soon enough pass beyond where we can reach but we must not hold onto them like a lifeline. No. We must move on knowing that they are watching down on us at all times, either watching in gladness or disappointment. Death is not the end but the beginning of a new life." He met her eyes once he was done speaking and smiled gently at her.

"And you, don't let something like this change your perspective of things. Don't let anyone but yourself sway your judgement on anything." It was like he knew what the group was currently split on.

"Take care of yourself Ms. Stark, and your friends. You have quite the journey ahead of you. Oh, and be sure to send my message to my son." He patted her shoulder lightly as she nodded, smiling back reassuringly to him.

"I will definitely pass on the message." She promised before turning to see that he was gone.

She spun a few times, expecting to see his disappearing form only to see Steve and Sam quickly approaching her, their own eyes whipping around.

"Is he gone?" Sam then asked, glancing around, wondering if he would catch a glimpse of the former Wakanda king. Skylar sighed and nodded, placing a hand on her forehead at the new information she received.

"We should head out." Steve placed a hand at the back of her neck, pulling her gently to him, allowing him to kiss right between her eyebrows.

"There's a cab!" Sam called as he jogged to the edge of the curb, waving one down before it passed, quickly swerving to the curbside in front of them.

The trio slipped into the car, Sam letting the driver know they were heading to the airport before the cab pulled away from the curb towards said location.

"What did he say doll?" Steve's voice pulled her from her thoughts as she felt his hand grip her own. Glancing down at their conjoined hands and then up to his concerned blues, she smiled softly.

"Bucky didn't do it. He reassured me that Bucky had nothing to do with it." She confessed, watching the tension slowly ease away from his shoulders.

"Anything else Sky? Does he know who did it?" Sam then asked from the other side as she sighed once more and shook her head.

"No, nothing else on the culprit but he did inform me of a message he would like me to send to his son." She answered, staring out the window before she blinked in confusion.

"T'Challa? What makes him think you would run into him to pass on a message?" Steve then asked confused as she shrugged, blinking a few times as the words of the former King continued to run through her mind.

"I thought the same thing but something else he said confuses me even more." She whispered, her brows furrowing as she stared down into her lap in thought.

"What?" Sam sat forward in interest as she tilted her head in thought before meeting their eyes.

"He said his son was now hunting an innocent man in hopes to avenge his father's lost soul." She mentioned as their eyes widened in realization.

"Hunting?" Sam asked for clarification as Skylar nodded to confirm his words as Steve turned away with a hard look in his eyes.

The playing field had just got a bit bigger and not only that, now the newly crowned King of Wakanda was also in the race to get to Bucky first.

* * *

Exactly an hour later, the trio snuck off a plane and into the Romanian airport still dressed in their various disguises.

"Where to Sky?" Steve whispered as he draped a hand around her shoulder, burying his nose into the top of her hat.

Skylar on the other hand, gazed around at the surrounding area of Romania before she waved her hand, hailing what she assumed to be a taxi.

"We head to Bucharest. From there I'll tap into whatever I can to find him." She whispered, pecking his chin before weaving her arm through Sam's elbow, leading the two over to the awaiting car.

Within minutes, they pulled up into the center of Bucharest. It wasn't what they had expected but nonetheless, they knew he was somewhere nearby.

Skylar gazed around at the various types of buildings that surrounded them and then to the various types of people that were scurrying past them.

"Where now?" Sam whispered as he leaned against a sign, conspicuously glancing around for anything suspicious.

"Camera." Skylar whispered in hope as she noticed one, not wasting anytime as she tapped into it, allowing her mind to weave through the feed in hopes of finding anyone that resembled Bucky. Unfortunately, she came back empty handed. What did she expect? A former assassin for an international terrorist group, hiding from the world, he wouldn't hide in plain sight.

"Anything?" Steve asked hopeful once he noticed the glow in her eyes disappear.

"No, but I'm not surprised. He wouldn't hide in the open." She explained suddenly feeling exhausted and frustrated with the current situation.

"What about the police station?" Sam suddenly suggested as Skylar looked to him confused.

"What about it?" She asked as Steve wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her a bit closer.

"Well…wait, you two didn't think about this?" Sam asked shocked as he pointed to the two that shook their heads confused.

"No, or I wouldn't have asked you." Skylar deadpanned sending Sam smiling.

"Wait a minute, let me bask in this moment for a minute. I have a suggestion that you two didn't whip up first. I'm liking this feeling." Sam began to pat himself on the back proudly, prancing around in the circle like he was at the top of the world.

"Sam! Times of the essence." Steve shouted his friends name before glancing around in a panic when he realized how loud he said it, startling the man from his moment of pride.

"The police station should have security cameras from every corner, street light, bank, anything at their station right? You tap into that and find anyone that remotely looks like Barnes, you'd be narrowing now the playing field." Sam quickly explained his idea as both Skylar and Steve's eyes widened in realization.

"You are a genius Sam!" Skylar praised, kissing the man's cheek in a moment of happiness, surprising him as he glanced at her in shock.

"I mean, I like you too but Cap…" Sam stumbled over his words nervously as Skylar rolled her eyes.

"Dear god, I can even thank you with a kiss without you getting all weird….." She muttered frustrated, punching him in his shoulder before brushing past him and down the block where she saw a police station earlier.

Steve on the other hand chuckled at the interaction, patting Sam's shoulder to show that he held no ill feeling over him before he jogged up to keep up with his disappearing fiancé.

"What the hell just happened?" Sam muttered to himself, lost in his own world.

* * *

Going to the police station got weird and fast. Sam had first tried to go in and distract the officers at the counter, long enough for Skylar to tap into any sort of tech they had in the building. That didn't last long seeing as Sam didn't speak Romanian which just led to the officers looking at them like they had grown another head.

Skylar had to improvise, pulling out the Romanian she remembered from HYDRA and began to ramble about being lost in a city she knew nothing about. Flashing a little cleavage and some leg before she had the officers eating out of her palm. Sure, it pissed off Steve who had to silently stand there and watch each and every officer in ear view, ogle his fiancé like a piece of meat but he kept it together, just long enough for her to tap into the camera feeds they had while they searched through their databank for a hotel name that she had randomly came up with. Thankfully, she found what she needed without trying and thanked the officers profusely while having to turn down the offer of driving her around to find their hotel.

"Well, that was interesting." Sam cleared his throat once they had made it safely around the block without the cops following Skylar like they had wanted.

"I don't think 'interesting' begins to cover it." Steve grumbled from the opposite side as Skylar sighed, already noticing the jealous rage burning through her super soldier.

"Aww….baby, come on. It didn't mean anything and you know nothing was going to happen with you two there. Right Sam?" She cuddled up into Steve's side, going as far as grabbing his hand and forcefully wrapping it around her shoulder.

"Course." Sam immediately agreed with her as she smiled, turning to look up at Steve.

"Didn't mean I liked it. Jesus, they could have some decency to not look at you like you were a piece of meat. That is no way to look at a lady." Steve scolded as she chuckled, reaching up with her free hand to grab that back of his neck, kissing him hard on the lips.

"You are too precious for words darling." She teased as she watched the light blush cross his cheeks.

"Okay, as much fun as it is to watch you two suck face, did you find anything Sky?" Sam broke the eye contact she had going with Steve and turned to see Sam watching her seriously.

She cleared her throat, slipping out of Steve's arms to fixing her top.

"I know where he is." She answered as Steve's eyes hardened.

"I also know that German Special Forces are preparing to head to his apartment. We have 30 minutes before they get there." It's like the playful aura from earlier disappeared and was quickly replaced with an overwhelming aura of frustration. Steve's eyes darkened at the new information while Sam widened his stance just a bit, crossing his arms over his chest.

"So what's the plan Cap?" Sam asked, already in line for whatever the man had planned. Steve in turn, glanced at Skylar for answers as she nodded, gesturing for them to follow her, which they did.

* * *

A few minutes later and they were looking across the street at a rundown and tall apartment building.

"He's there, top floor. First door to the left of the stairs." She whispered as she lowered her glasses far enough to glance around, tapping into any cameras in the near vicinity, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

"How much time do we have doll?" Steve asked in his Captain voice as she slipped her glasses back on, pulling out of view and back into the alleyway they were hiding in.

"20 minutes, tops." She answered as Steve nodded, a heavy look in his eyes.

"Sam, I need you to keep view from the sky, nearby rooftops, anything." Steve commanded as Sam nodded, having already slipped on his wings while they had been hiding.

"Got it." Sam nodded in understanding before Steve turned to look at Sky.

"Doll, we'll head up together but I don't want you in his apartment when I go in. I'm not sure which Bucky we'll be walking in on, it'll be too dangerous." Steve started as she opened her mouth to complain about his need to always keep her from the fight before he cut her off.

"I know you are going to say that you'll be fine, but I'm not gonna take any chances. We'll head up together but from what you said, the apartment below his is empty. I want you to keep close incase anything goes wary. Tap into whatever you can and keep me updated. I want to at least have the opportunity to talk to him before they get there. We need to get him out before they get to him." Steve's eyes took on a sad and soft look for a spilt second before it disappeared. Skylar sighed in defeat, knowing she couldn't fight him on this and instead nodded in agreement.

"Alright. I'll do it." She answered as a small smile graced his lips.

"Thanks doll." He rested his gloved hand on her cheek briefly before Sam spoke up.

"Let's do this." Sam interrupted their moment, his arms shooting out along with his wings before he soared high into the sky, almost out of sight.

"Go. I'll be in in 5." Steve pushed her as she took one look at the building before turning to press her lips to his.

"Be careful." She whispered desperately against his lips before he pulled her hungrily back against him.

"You too baby girl." He whispered back heavily as they forcefully broke apart, Skylar racing across the street to the building while Steve stayed back.

"I'm coming Bucky."

* * *

 **We are just a step away from finally officially welcoming Bucky into the mix! I can't wait!**

 **See you for the next update~**


	6. Chapter 6

**I thought it was bad enough that I had the flu for a week, nope, my kids ended up getting it one after another and completely shut our weekend down. I'd appreciate not smelling puke for the rest of my life ;_;**

 **Anyways, I finally whipped up another chapter as they are now resting, I had some time to myself.**

 **And like I promised, Bucky will finally be entering our sights! –inwardly squeals-**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters**

* * *

Bucky's POV…

Seeing the way that man stared at me from across the street, sent my skin crawling. Something inside me was yelling at me to run, turn and run, something wasn't right. Horror shot up my spine soon after I marched across the street at him, ripping the newspaper he had been reading off the counter and into view. My eyes shot open almost immediately as the large title towering over a photo caught my attention.

How could I be Venice when I was standing right here?

Bile rose up my throat as I placed the paper slowly down, glancing over my shoulders inconspicuously.

There was no doubt inside me, that whoever was framing me, knew exactly how to do it and how serious to make it so that anyone looking for me would have a good reason to put a bullet between my eyes.

I needed to get out of here, now.

* * *

Author's POV…

Breaking into the empty apartment below Bucky's was almost too easy. The crime rate in this town must be so low, before she decided how to break it, she thought she would humor herself and try the door knob. Imagine the shock that raced through her when she found it unlocked.

"I'm in." She spoke into her ear piece, silently shutting the door behind her, her gun up and at the ready as she slipped through the apartment, scanning it for any inhabitants.

"Anything?" Steve's voice asked as she got to the kitchen and shook her head when she found no one like she had expected.

"Empty." She answered, slipping her gun back into the holster at her thigh before she slunk over to a window, pulling the curtain slightly from the window to take a good look outside. They were pretty far up.

"If you hear or find anything, don't hesitate to say something." Steve pushed as she sighed and nodded.

"Yes Cap." She mumbled, noticing Sam landing on a nearby rooftop.

"Anything on your end?" She then asked as she walked across the apartment to another window that overlooked the front of the building.

"Nothing. He's not here." Steve answered as she sighed in irritation. Sure, she could easily find where he was but what if he already knew he was being hunted? Maybe they had missed him.

"All his stuff is here though." Steve added as her eyes whipped to the door as she barely heard the thud of a boot hitting the top of the stairs just outside her door.

"He couldn't have gone far then." Sam added in as she silently pulled her gun from its hiding place, her feet ghosting over the floor to the door where she hesitantly peeked through the peephole to catch the very back end of a bulky man marching up the stairs in the opposite side.

Was that…?

"Heads up, Cap. German special forces approaching from the south." Sam's voice yanked her from her thoughts as she brushed the strange man's form from her mind and raced over to the window facing the South. Sure enough, heavily armed vehicles were plowing down the road and straight for the building they were in.

"5 heavily armed vehicles, half a mile out. Maybe about 2 to 3 dozen men with them." She informed the two men as her eyes soared through the wave lengths in the electric lines and straight into each vehicles tech.

"Understood. Doll, stall them at the intersection up the road." Steve commanded as she nodded, tapping into the intersection traffic lights, turning all four ways into green lights causing a slight traffic jam. Unfortunately for them, it seemed like Bucky was top priority as they plowed through the pack of cars congesting the intersection and continued on their way towards them.

"Cap, it didn't work. They're here." She whispered, ripping the curtain back into place before she pulled open the balcony door, knowing that one or a few of them would use grappling hooks to surprise Bucky from outside.

"They've set the perimeter." Skylar announced as she peered down to see the groups of men surrounding the building, various hooks shooting up and onto the roof like she had assumed.

"They're entering the building." Sam added as she snorted, slipping her gun back into its hiding spot before she waved Sam who glanced over at her. She pointed down the building to the men slowly slipping up the side of the building thanks to their wires before she pointed at the roof where a group was now being dropped off by helicopter.

"They're on the roof. I'm compromised." Sam pushed as Skylar glanced down once more at the group of men trailing the building from below.

"5 seconds." Skylar announced, the countdown having been going down in her head through everything as she heard the pounding of booted feet running up the stairs right outside the apartment she sought refuge in.

"3 seconds!" Sam yelled as Skylar eyes began to glow as the energy in her body began to bubble over.

"Breach! Breach! Breach!" Skylar shouted the moment she heard the gas canisters light up before they were thrown through the windows above her. Bullets began to go off soon after as Skylar's nerves shot through the roof, waiting for Steve to push her to do something, anything. She didn't like standing there doing nothing when everything was basically going to hell.

"Sky! Get the men on the outside out of there!" Sam shouted through the air as she nodded, not waiting for Steve to yell at her to stop before she basically threw herself at the nearest wire hanging outside her apartment, grabbing the man by the ankle before sending a course of electricity through his form, the current continuing its way up the wire to the various other men that had been clinging to the same wire. Luckily for her, she didn't have to catch their unconscious forms as they hung upside down from their safety wires.

"Sky! Stairwell!" Steve shouted this time as she ducked in time to dodge a bullet that had been sent by another soldier who then followed her into the empty apartment.

"Hold on!" She shouted out of breath as she kicked his gun from his hand, before flipping back to send a kick to his chin, sending him crashing into the dusty kitchen table. She shot back against the furthest wall suddenly when an explosion outside the window went off, sending shards of broken building and glass at her before a group of men pounced inside.

"Shit." She cursed as she held her hands up, creating a shield in front of her, allowing the bullets to ricochet off the violet wall.

"Sky! 10th floor!" Steve shouted again as she grunted, flaring her hands around, sending the 4 men's weapons soaring through the air and out the large hole in the wall.

"Give me a second!" She grunted as she kicked the first one in the head, sending him sprawling to the ground before ducking as another one threw his leg out at her. A quick backflip out of the way of another hit, she spun on her hands and knees, kicking out the legs of another man, delivering a finishing punch to his face as she grunted when another man grabbed her hair from behind, sending her screeching in surprise. The man tossed her anything but gently against the wall, punching her once in the stomach before she kicked her leg out, hitting him directly between the legs sending him yelling in pain as he collapsed to the ground. She groaned in pain herself, holding an arm around her waist before glaring at the last man that looked to be lost in what to do. Growling under her breath, her hand shot out as she threw the man out the hole, tossing her arms around as she wrapped him tightly in his own wire.

"Coming!" She screeched, swinging the door open, taking a moment to take in the destruction and bodies that littered the stairwell before she heard yelling below. That's when she saw the familiar shield shoot across the stairwell taking out a soldier that had been aiming his gun at a lower level.

She made to jump down and join them only for her words to disappear as she watched a familiar form jump off the stairs landing and begin free falling down the center before his metal arm grabbed a nearby railing. She heard his shout of pain from above him and swallowed heavily.

"Bucky!" She screamed down at him as he pulled himself over the railing and onto the landing, ignoring her call for him.

"Doll, Sam, South! West rooftop!" Steve suddenly shouted as she spun to the nearest apartment facing that general location and kicked it in, immediately apologizing to the screaming woman on the other side. Running through her apartment, ducking to avoid the various things she was flying at her, she ran through the open balcony door, no hesitation as she launched herself off the railing, free falling down to the rooftop where she saw Steve running across, Bucky and a strange person in black jumping off the far side.

Using her telekinesis, she softened her landing just a bit, allowing her to roll to her knees before she was up and running at full speed in the area they had jumped off of. Getting to the ledge out of breath, she peered over to see Bucky jump down an opening the road and out of sight.

"Sam! I need a ride! Now!" She shouted, hoping he was nearby as she took a few steps back before running off the roof once more. Luckily for her, Sam had been just a building over and caught her just as she jumped before heading in the direction the 2 super soldiers and unknown man had disappeared in.

"Who the hell is the other guy?!" Sky shouted up at Sam who glanced down at her through his goggles.

"No idea!" He shouted back as they slipped down into the opening to see that it was an underground road.

"There! Drop me there!" She shouted as she pointed to a divider area that separated the two rows of traffic.

"No way! Cap will kill me!" Sam disagreed immediately, both of them glancing back as the sound of sirens behind them caught their attention.

"Just do it for god's sake! I got a damn good idea!" She snapped, wiggling her arms free of his grasp before he shouted at her to keep still before he dropped her on accident.

"Jesus woman!" He snapped as he put her down gently before she ran out into traffic, using her telekinesis to stop a street biker that had been blaring by at top speed. The man glanced down at his bike in confusion as it stopped going suddenly before turning to see her approaching.

"Sorry. Need to borrow this." She ripped him off the bike as gently as she could before swinging her legs over the leather seat.

Naturally the man started shouting at her, going as far as attempting to swing at her before she tapped into his mind, knocking him unconscious easily. She kicked the bikes ignition on before the tires screeched as she floored it, sending her shooting through oncoming traffic.

"Where are they Sam?!" She shouted as she leaned forward on the bike, weaving in and out of cars that honked their horns loudly at her.

"Right around the corner!" Sam shouted as she glanced over her shoulder to see him following her.

"Sam! I can't shake this guy!" Steve's voice suddenly spoke up as she raced across the center line into ongoing traffic, her tires squealing as she tried to keep up.

"Coming Cap!" She spoke up, seeing the very car he must have been driving, that same black suited man clinging to the back of the vehicle.

"Right behind you!" Sam added as she sped past the other cop cars, getting right up next to Steve's car, watching as the black figure turned their head to stare at her.

Watching as Bucky now grabbed a bike and hopped the middle medium, Skylar crossed the same medium, barely avoiding the onslaught of cop cars that had been heading in both directions.

They continued to race through traffic, Skylar's bike fighting to keep up with the speed of both Steve's Audi and Bucky's new bike before she watched as Sam flew over her and towards Steve's car to help him. Glancing back at the two super soldiers ahead of her, she let out a small scream as she watched the black figure gallop across the top of Steve's car before launching out at Bucky's bike.

She was pissed. She didn't know who this man was, or person, or woman, whatever they were, but they were pissing her off. She floored the bike, proudly past what it could handle as her bike sped up alongside Steve's one. Not wasting another minute, her hand shot out, grabbing the black clothed man from Bucky's grasp as he fought to keep the bike standing, before tossing him as far as she could.

To say Bucky looked surprise by the sudden appearance of a familiar violet aura around the man that had tried to attack him, was an understatement. Pushing himself upright, he briefly glanced back in time to see a familiar silver haired woman speeding up on him on her own bike.

Familiarity set in as her violet eyes met his before he turned away, realizing now was not the time to stop and approach the woman. Reaching into his bag, he pulled a device from it before tossing it up at the tunnel top above him. He knew she would be fine, prayed she would be fine, but he needed the others to be off his tail long enough for him to get away.

The moment she saw the device shoot up all awhile watching as Sam fought the black figure mid-air, her heart stopped.

"Bomb!" She snapped in a panic, flooring her bike further past its restraints, Steve doing the same before it blew. Sam put the breaks on his wings, snapping the black figure ahead of him and towards Bucky's disappearing form. Barely avoiding the falling debris and panicking over Steve making it through the mess, she sighed in relief as she watched Steve ditch the car mid run as the car flipped and tumbled across the pavement.

Turning her attention back to Bucky, who was by then rolling across the ground with the unknown man prowling at him, she did the first thing that came to mind and dipped the bike onto its side, kicking it out as it took out the legs of the unknown man allowing her time to roll to her feet, standing stiffly in front of Bucky figure.

Steve slid in front of Skylar, his shield up at the ready as the unknown person pushed himself to stand, stalking closer.

"Back off." She growled out, her eyes narrowing and flashing violet sending the black figure halting in his footsteps before the sound of sirens blaring around them caught their attention.

"S-Skylar." A voice she hadn't heard for some time yanked her from her glaring contest with the person standing before her, before Steve and her eyes snapped around to see Bucky looking at her like she held the answers to his past. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest as she ignored the sirens and shouting happening around him and smiled softly.

"Hi." She offered as she watched the way he blinked a few time, familiarity finally settling into his blues.

"Stand down! Get on the ground!" The voices continued to shout as Steve pulled her to his side right beside Bucky, their eyes finally taking in the scene around them.

There was no way they were getting out of this

When she thought it couldn't get any worse, a loud thump echoed through the underground road as her eyes panned over to see someone she hopped she hadn't appeared.

"Oh, this just keeps getting better and better." She muttered irritated under her breath, her hands hesitantly reaching up to lace at the back of her head as the cops instructed.

"Stand down. Now. Congratulations, Captain, Skylar. You're both criminals." Rhodey's voice echoed through the suit as rough hands jabbed at her back, gripping her wrists away from her hair and to her back where she felt the cuffs click into place.

"Congratulations Rhodes. When I didn't think you could get any further up the governments ass, you crawl even deeper." She hissed at him, watching as he turned one of his compulsers in her direction.

"Do it, I dare you." She threatened before her head snapped to her right as Bucky was forced onto his stomach.

"Hey! Stop it!" She snapped, fighting against the restraints gripping at her wrists painfully, just as Bucky turned his head to glance up at her. Skylar allowed the anger to fuel her abilities as her eyes melted into violet, moments away from ripping the man that had his knee pinned into Bucky's back, as far as she could mentally fling him. That was until Bucky spoke.

"It's alright Skylar." He whispered up at him before he was ripped away from the pavement to stand. She blinked the power from her head before meeting his storm blues with hesitation.

"Your highness." Rhodey suddenly spoke as she turned confused only to meet to the narrowed eyes of someone she hadn't expected to really bump into.

King T'Chala.

* * *

 **There you have it! Reviews help me post faster haha**

 **Until next time~**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here is the next chapter. Didn't think I'd get one out this week to be honest. I've had about 4 family friends past away in the span of 2 weeks and everything has just been upside down. Funeral after funeral and then nephew birthday parties back to back. Ugh, I'm honestly exhausted beyond function but tomorrow is another day of work so I'm gonna keep kicking!**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy this update. I didn't know where I was going to go after this chapter, but some inspiration came to me today and I think I may have something that could work yet upset some of you. I needed a deeper connection between Bucky and Skylar, and I might have found something.**

 **Enjoy**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

They were separated from Bucky soon after that, even after she screamed at the man holding her, threatening to literally dismantle him where he stood. Steve immediately nudged her with his arm, shaking his head at the severity of the situation, meeting his fiances heartbreaking eyes. She had just gotten Bucky back for Steve and now, he was being ripped away from them once again. This wasn't fair.

Hanging her head in defeat with a sniffle, Sam, Steve and Sky were escorted into an armored vehicle where they were escorted to a private plane at the very airport they had arrived in just earlier in the day.

Each of them were separated in separate rows, cuffed to the armrests of each seat.

At that notion, Skylar couldn't help but snort in amusement, her eyes glancing up at the man adjusting her cuff.

"Do you really expect for that to hold me in?" She asked softly, her eyes flashing violet, loving the way the man flinched slightly at the look.

"Or a super soldier for that matter?" She nudged her head at Steve who was a few rows ahead of her, glancing over at her at the mention of his name.

"You will sit still and shut up unless spoken to!" Another rough voice barked before she felt the metal barrel of a gun being pressed to the back of her head. She was surprised, that she'd admit, she hadn't even known there was another one of them behind her.

"Stay away from her!" Steve snapped from his row, almost tempted to rip the armrests off the chair and run over to rip the man's head from his shoulders.

"It's alright Cap." Skylar shook her head calmly, knowing that if he had done what he wanted, they would probably be in even more trouble. Plus, she was planning on using these guys to her advantage as soon as she could. Couldn't do that when she'd have to wrestle a crazed super soldier from the soldiers now all standing guard around them.

* * *

Within the hour, the plane took off smoothly before heading towards where Skylar had assumed to be Berlin from what she had picked up from a passing soldier.

"Any idea where they're taking us?" Sam shouted from the back as one of the soldiers barked at him in German.

"Berlin from what I got." Skylar called back over her shoulder, startling the soldier that was perched in the empty row beside her.

"What? Shackles keep me physically here but your minds are like an open book to me." She teased lightly under her breath, meeting Steve's disagreeing eyes as she shrugged innocently.

Sometime during the flight, Skylar fell asleep, finding all the info she needed from the soldier who fidgeted beside her, attempting to block her from his mind though he was losing effortlessly.

That's when she was being shaken from her sleep, a man yelling at her to get up.

They had arrived in Berlin and were escorted into another van. The three were separated into 3 separate rows that were caged off from the other. Skylar glared at the man shackling her to the seat before glancing over when she heard Steve slip in behind her, Sam following closely behind.

But when the door beside hers continued to stay open, the sound of someone sitting in the empty row in front of her, she was shocked to find the newest king of Wakanda now sitting there, facing forward as if they were never there.

Skylar stared at the back of his head for a long time, even after the van pulled away from the curb. This man, she had met his father, she had spoken to his father and now, he was hunting an innocent man like his father had informed her.

"So, you likes cats?" Sam suddenly asked from behind her, startling her though she found his comment funny and would have laughed given a better situation.

"Sam." Steve scolded as she snorted, never pulling her eyes from the man's head, her mind so easily peering into his, almost feeling the turmoil and determination festering in his soul.

"What? Dude shows up dressed like a cat and you don't wanna know more?" Sam sassed back, Skylar unable to stop herself from nodding in agreement, though she easily found the answer to said question as she had already been digging through his mind.

"Your suit. It's Vibranium, isn't it?" She asked in interest, the fact that she had met that memory in his mind, flabbergasting her as she hadn't seen another piece of Vibranium since first seeing Steve's shield.

"Is it?" Steve then asked, equally surprised.

"The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. A mantle passed from warrior to warrior. And now because your friend murdered my father, I also wear the mantle of king. So I ask you, as both warrior and king, how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?" Slowly T'Challa turned his head, meeting the two behind her before meeting her own eyes.

"I met your father." She suddenly blurted, watching the slight surprise blow across his features.

"Just yesterday afternoon." She added, watching his face intently for anything, though he looked a little put out at the new info.

"That is impossible. My father passed away yesterday morning." T'Challa turned away now completely uninterested and detached from the conversation.

"Skylar has the ability to see the dead, your highness. She saw your father yesterday when we were scouting the explosion site." Steve quickly explained as T'Challa continued to face forward, not allowing them to see the various expressions crossing his face.

"He had a message that he wanted me to pass on to you, had I ever ran across you, which I'm now assuming he must have known our paths would cross soon enough." She muttered the last part under her breath in realization before quickly looking to his form sitting in front of his. He hadn't made the effort to turn and face her but she noticed the slight way his shoulders tenses even a bit.

'Revenge is a silent confession of pain but it is not the right way to go. We go through life knowing that those around us will soon enough pass beyond where we can reach but we must not hold onto them like a lifeline. No. We must move on knowing that they are watching down on us at all times, either watching in gladness or disappointment. Death is not the end but the beginning of a new life." She offered the message, seeing the way the man's shoulder shook, either in sadness or realization, she didn't know, but she had passed the message on like she had promised.

"Now it is your move to which path you choose but I will do everything in my power to keep Bucky safe from you. Vibranium will not save you from what I'm capable of doing." She didn't want to threaten the man that was just drowning in his sadness for his father's passing, but she wasn't about to ignore the fact that he had openly made it known that he had only one thing on his mind, killing Bucky.

* * *

The continued the ride to the building they had pulled into, the van moved on silently as no one spoke. The van they had been riding in for the last 20 minutes or so finally pulled into an underground area, soldiers stationed and waiting for them as the van came to a halt.

"Present your wrists." One of the soldiers that had been riding passenger commanded as he pulled open the doors keeping them in. Naturally they listened, offering their wrists out as they were un-cuffed and pulled out of the van. T'Challa was then escorted into a random direction before the soldiers around them began to shuffle them into a completely opposite area.

Steve and Sam immediately shadowed both of Skylar's sides as they were led over to where none other than Sharon Carter and a shorter man now stood. She could almost feel the irritation she had pushed down just moments ago, festering to blow at the sight of the woman. Having seen the woman from the moment they stepped off the van, Steve reached down immediately and grabbed Sky's hand in his, hoping that physically touching her would keep her mentally grounded without blowing anything up, it was possible after all.

It wasn't long before Skylar's eyes met a pair of familiar steal blues ones from inside a glass cage across the way. She growled, seeing the fear crowding his eyes as he turned away in hesitation. This was the man that had tried to save her on various opportunities, even went as far as sneaking her provisions when she was being punished for something she had done. And most of all, this was Steve's best friend, there was no way that she was going to let this group get away with this.

Turning, taking a threatening step in Bucky's direction, her now violet eyes narrowed as the lights around began to flicker as soldiers and the like stopped where they were, glancing around in confusion.

"Sky, not here. Not now." Steve whispered, placing his free hand on her waist, attempting to calm her down.

"What's going to happen?" Sam asked once he was sure Steve had reigned in Skylar enough, the woman now buried in Steve's chest as he held her there.

"The same thing that ought to happen to you. Psychological evaluation and extradition." The short man finally spoke as Skylar pried her face away from Steve's chest to glare at the shorter man.

"This is…" Sharon gestured to the short man, stepping up to introduce the man that looked at each and every one of them less than amused.

"Everett Ross, deputy task force commander." Skylar finished for the woman, her eyes glued to the man's face as his eyes met hers.

"Ah, Skylar-Anne Stark. I have heard much about you. Especially about your escapades with HYDRA." Ross taunted as her body vibrated, naturally taking a threatening step towards the man, the guards around him, flanking tightly on him immediately.

"Would you like to test what my 'escapades' with HYDRA has done to me?" She hissed back, her eyes continuing to glow violet, wanting nothing more than to plant the man to the ceiling. Sharon also quickly unsheathed her gun from its holster, keeping it tightly at her side. Sam and Steve were quick to grab Skylar's arms, stopping her advance before Steve pulled her once more into his chest and out of sight.

"What about a lawyer?" Steve glared at the man unamused by his words about his fiancé.

"Lawyer, that's funny. See to their weapons are placed in the lock up. Oh, we'll write you a receipt." Ross wasn't the least bit shaken by Skylar's words but she could almost smell the hesitation and fear rolling off of him as he kept his face planted firmly in a grin. Oh, she enjoyed the thoughts of fear running through his head now.

"I better not look out the window and see anybody flying around in that." Sam barked out irritated as he watched his wings walk by helplessly.

"Come on doll." Steve whispered as they were pushed to follow Ross out of the large space and into a hallway adjacent to the room.

"You will be provided with an office instead of a cell. And do me a favor, stay in it." Ross then mentioned as she loosened her grip around Steve, keeping her side glued to his as she noticed a familiar form marching towards them from the opposite direction.

"Nat." Skylar whispered as the woman gave each of them a pointed look before rounding up beside Steve, her eyes looking at the scrapes and bumps along the visible skin peeking out of Skylar's suit.

"For the record, this is what making things worse looks like." She whispered disapprovingly at Steve who only looked at her with a 'you-knew-this-was-going-to-happen-whether-you-said-anything-or-not' look.

"He's alive." Steve commented offhandedly to the woman who only sighed.

"The remaining of us are not at court-sec. And, Colonel Ross is supervising the clean-up. Try not to break anything while we fix this." She begged the trio as they slipped into a large room, cluttered from floor to ceiling with high tech computers and the like.

A voice speaking loudly pulled her from her amazed glance around the room, immediately pinning the familiarity in the voice. Her cousin. Great.

"Consequences? You bet there will be consequences. Obviously you can quote me on that because I just said it. Anything else? Thank you, sir." Tony was least than pleased, obviously. He glared at the two men beside her before his eyeshardened in disappointed as he continued to stare at her. Not only was he pissed, he was disgusted that his cousin would chose to do this and go against the law then to do what was right.

"Consequences?" Steve asked confused as Tony hung up, ringing his neck tie a bit, loosening it further from his neck.

"Secretary Ross wants the 3 of you prosecuted. I had to give him something." Tony showcased his phone irritated before turning to follow Nat who had only silently gestured for him to follow her.

"I'm not getting that shield back, am I?" Steve then asked hesitantly, his hand tightening in her own.

"Technically, it's the government's property. Wings too." Nat was the one to answer as Skylar shook her head.

"That's cold." Sam commented as he looked at Nat like a rejected dog.

"Warmer than jail!" She called back over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

* * *

A few moments later….

"Ms. Stark. Mr. Stark would like to have a word with you and the Captain." An agent announced into her makeshift cell which indeed was an empty office that sat next door.

Skylar glanced at Steve briefly before she was pulled out of her seat by an agent who seemed to just want to go home before another grabbed Steve.

"We'll be back, I guess." She nodded to Sam who only smiled up at her warily as they were pulled from the room and back into 'HQ' as Skylar had begun to silently call it. Glancing around confused to not see her cousin immediately, she was then pulled towards the glass and soundproof room that sat in the center of the room, her cousin standing stalk still at the head of the table that laid in the middle of the glass room.

"I feel like I'm being punished for being a bad girl." She muttered over to Steve who looked at her with a soft smile.

"It'll be alright doll." He whispered back as she chuckled under her breath forcefully before turning as the glass door slid open.

"Wouldn't put all your hope on that just yet baby." She commented back as she was pushed into the room, Steve following her closely.

"Have a seat, both of you." Tony gestured as she sighed, taking the furthest seat from Tony, knowing full well that her cousin was going to go on a rant within the next few seconds.

Tony lifted his head as he heard a pair of footsteps grow further away before noticing his cousin now sitting at the opposite side of the table, her eyes showing him clearly that she knew why he had wanted to see her.

"Sit." Tony ignored his cousin for the time being, gesturing for Steve to sit at the head of the table, which he did with a little apprehension.

"Hey, you want to see something cool? I pulled something from dad's archives. Well, timely. FDR signed the Land-Lease bills with these in 1941. Provided support to the allies when they needed most. Someone said it brought our country closer to war. Seen enough of these, you wouldn't be here. I'm trying to, what do you call it? a... an al'fermage. Is that what you call it?" Tony began randomly babbling as he pulled out a case of ink pens, laying them open on the table in front of Steve like he was bragging about the collection.

"Is Pepper here? I didn't see her." Steve ignored the pen's, turning his head to meet Tony's slightly startled ones. He hadn't been expecting that question right off the bat.

"We are... kinda... - well not kinda..." Tony fell over his words, not sure how to answer it at the moment as his hands naturally slipped into his pants pockets and out of sight.

"Pregnant?" Skylar offered amused from the other side of the room, Tony's eyes glaring over at her in irritation.

"No, definitely not. We're taking a break. It's nobody's fault." Tony felt like he needed to clear the air of that one, though he knew Skylar read it like a book and knew her comment had just been to poke at his faults in life.

"So sorry, Tony. I didn't know." Steve immediately apologized as Tony sighed and shrugged, noticing the way his cousins eyes rolled. Skylar knew where the blame laid. Pepper was genuine and loyal to a fault while Tony was mentally a 5 year old billionaire with relationship issues. As sad as it was, she would be more surprised if Pepper and Tony went through life without a single problem in their relationship.

"Few years ago, I almost lost her, so I trashed all my suits. Then, we had to muck up HYDRA. And then Ultron, my fault. And then HYDRA again, and then we had to save Skylar, and then the Collins and Zola mess. It never stopped cause the truth is I don't wanna stop. I don't want to lose her. I thought maybe the Accords can split the difference. In her defense, I'm her handful. Yet, dad was a pain in the ass, but he and mom always made it work." Tony rambled some more as Skylar intently listened to his words, understanding where he cousin was coming from as he had done so much in hopes to keep Pepper safe though it backfired over and over again.

"You know, I'm glad Howard got married. I only knew him when he was young and single." Steve's words had immediately set Tony off as she watched the way his eyes quickly hardened in distaste.

"Oh really? You two knew each other? He never mentioned that. Maybe only a thousand times. God, I hated you." Tony paced the far wall before heading back to the table side, glaring down at Steve.

"I don't mean to make things difficult." Steve apologized genuinely as Tony rolled his eyes sky eye.

"I know. Because you're a very polite person." Tony mocked back.

"If I see a situation pointed south, I can't ignore it. - Sometimes I wish I could." Steve answered honestly as he watched Tony closely.

"No, you don't. Sometimes... Sometimes I wanna punch you in your perfect teeth. But I don't wanna see you gone. Neither of you. We need you, Cap. Both of you. Until now nothing's happen that can't be undone, please... sign. We can make the last 24 hours legit. Barnes gets transferred to an American psych center instead of a Wakanda prison. I'm not saying it's impossible. But there would have to be safeguards Sure. Once we put out the PR fire, these documents can be amended. I filed a motion to have you, Skylar and Wanda reinstated." And there it was, the ever obvious Sokovia Accords being slipped in front of Steve.

Upon seeing the document, Skylar was on her feet and walking around to the other side of the table, opposite of Tony.

"Wanda? What about Wanda?" Steve then asked, having realized that her cousin had mentioned the woman they hadn't seen since they snuck off to Peg's funeral.

"She's fine. She's confined to the compound currently. Vision's keeping her company." Tony shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as Skylar's eyes widened in shock.

"Oh God, Tony! Every time. Every time I think you're seeing things the right way..." She snapped, she had officially snapped as the lock on the glass door fizzed and popped, locking the three inside it while the computer screens outside began to go berserk.

"What? It's a 100 acres with a lap pool. It's got a screening room. There's worse ways to protect people." Tony retorted, having not noticed the various tech in the room going crazy.

"Protection?! Is that how you see this? This isn't protection, it's internment, confinement, Tony!" She screeched, slamming her hands down on the table top, openly glaring at her cousin, ignoring the looks of panic settling through various faces on the other side of the glass as various tech began to fizz and pop out of order.

"She's not a US Citizen." Tony calmly deadpanned as she clenched her hands in fist, her blood boiling over the edge.

"Oh, come on Tony!" Steve entered the conversation, completely at shock of how Tony was handling Wanda.

"And they don't grant visas to Weapons of Mass Destruction." Tony added as Skylar finally snapped, pushing Steve aside before marking up to Tony, getting in his face.

"She's a fucking kid Tony! A kid!" She grabbed him by the lapels of his coat, Steve all but attempting to pry her away from the billionaire before she lost completely control of herself.

"GIVE ME A BREAK! I'm doing what has to be done…..to save us from something worse." Tony pried her off, pushing her as gently as his anger would allow him, Steve catching her from behind as he wrapped his arms tightly around her chest, keeping her arms locked against her own.

"You keep telling yourself that. Save us something worse? Ha! What could be worse than this? I'm almost ashamed to even call you family at this point." Skylar hissed silently from Steve's arms, watching the way Tony's eyes widened at her words.

"If you are keeping Wanda confined because she is a 'weapon of mass destruction', I'd hate to see what sort of place they put someone like me in." She muttered in thought, her eyes never leaving the anger rippling through her form.

"They would never….." Tony immediately took a step towards her, shaking his head in disagreement to where that statement had been heading.

"Don't make me laugh. I'm a weapon of mass destruction and you know it. Oh, and look at that, I'm being locked up too." She gestured over his shoulder to where Ross was marching into the room with a group of soldiers, a large pair of tech-cuffs in one of their hands.

"No…." Tony shook his head while Ross all but bypassed him to get to the couple on the other end of the room.

"Step away Captain Rogers." Ross commanded as Steve's arms tightened around Skylar, pulling her behind him and out of sight.

"This will happen whether you want it to or not Captain. Best to do it the easy way, that way, no one gets hurt." The sound of a stun gun going off sent his senses into overdrive as he glared over at Tony who stood there, doing nothing but gaping at how this was unfolding.

"You heard her Cap, she is a weapon of mass destruction. I don't know about you but I know a lot of people who would be happy to have someone of the sort off the streets and away from innocent people." Ross grinned uncaring at the super soldier who tensed at the men's words.

"She is not, nor will she ever be a weapon of mass destruction. She has done nothing but help and assist whenever asked." Steve defended his fiancé who continued to stay out of sight.

"Stark." Ross warned the billionaire who hadn't moved from his spot against the glass, too at shocked at what was happening.

"I would assume that you understand what I am trying to get at here. We would like to evaluate Miss Stark on the happenings of New York along with what she underwent at the hands of HYDRA including the murders she attended to in Germany and China." Ross's words sent a shock of pain straight into Skylar's head as she gripped it, biting into her lip as the memory of various people, including a young child that she had killed, flashed through her mind.

"That wasn't her! She was brainwashed, she had no control over herself!" Steve shouted in defense, his stance widening as he awaited the first attack from either side of soldiers.

"Sir, don't you think that is a bit out of line? Sky isn't liable for those murders." Tony finally opened his mouth as he realized the severity of the situation his cousin was now in.

"Out of line? Ha. This woman is responsible for not one murder but a dozen, women, men, and children and you want me to stand here and assume that in some alternate reality, that she was not responsible for it?" Ross looked at Tony like he had cursed him out and laughed mockingly.

"I tried to do this the easy way Captain, but you will not cooperate. Men." Ross stepped aside, nodding for the group of soldiers to do what they had been called to do, stun guns and other non-lethal weapons up and at the ready.

Tears spilled from Skylar's eyes as her dark past with HYDRA finally came through the fog. She hadn't ever told her cousin or Steve about how many murders she had assisted in and she had been planning to keep it that way for as long as possible. But no, fate had other plans as Ross spilled her darkest secrets onto the table in front of them.

He was right.

She was responsible for so much death, brainwashed or not, she remembered each and every one of them like they had happened yesterday.

Hearing Ross's next words, she peeked out from behind Steve in a panic, seeing the various guns pointed at the man trying to defend and protect her from them.

No, she was responsible, not him. Why would she let him get hurt in exchange for something she had done?

No, she was at fault here.

Swallowing down the bile rising up her chest, she shook the nerves and stepped out of hiding, grabbing Steve's arm to stop him from approaching the men.

"Steve, it's alright." She whispered up at him, forcing a small smile though she felt like doing anything but smiling at the moment.

"No, no this is not alright." He shook his head in disagreement, his arm winding around her waist, pulling her tightly into his side so she couldn't do what he knew she wanted to do.

"It's not alright, I know but he's right, I did those things, killed those people." She whispered, making brief eye contact with her cousin who was paling by the second.

"No….this isn't….no, I'm not letting you give yourself up for something you had no control over…it's not right." Steve was now begging her to see it his way, his eyes shining with unshed tears as he glared around the room.

"I know, but I'll be alright, you know I will be." She whispered with a forced laugh, nuzzling into his side one last time before she let a tear fall, using her telekinesis to pry his arm off of her, his eyes widening down at her as his body fought against the hold she had on it.

"I love you, remember that okay. I'll be okay." She smiled forcefully, stepping back from his frantic form as she turned, sniffling, offering her arms out to Ross who looked at her in mild surprise.

"Do it before I change my mind." She begged under her breath, wanting nothing more than to cut out Steve's shouts from behind him.

Ross nodded, signaling two of the men over who put the full torso cuffs on, latching it shut at the middle of her back while her hands now sat locked at her stomach, her arms unable to move due to the contraption.

"It is of no use to use any of your tech abilities or telekinesis on these cuffs, Ms. Stark. It has been built to keep in the Hulk himself." A small laugh bubbled up her chest at the thought, knowing she had broken in and out of the Hulk cage back at the Tower.

"Sky, please….." Steve begged now as she finally decided to glance over her shoulder at him, a loving smile on her face.

"Everything will be alright baby. Go back to Sam. I love you." She added as the men began to pull her out of the room, their guns trained on her.

"Hope your happy 'Mr. Stark'." She hissed at Tony just before she disappeared out the door and into an unknown location, Steve falling to his hands and knees as her power finally slipped from his form.

It took some time for Steve to come around to things before he forcefully pried himself off the ground, his red brimmed eyes glancing around blankly.

"Cap….I didn't know…" Tony made to defend himself against Ross taking his cousin, he hadn't known that it was his plan all along but Steve wasn't having any of it as he tossed the pen he had been handed earlier and marched towards the exit.

"Hate to break up the set." Steve hissed under his breath, allowing the guard to escort him out of the room and into the next where Sam was nervously waiting.

"Cap….wait, where's Sky?" Sam immediately asked once the door was shut behind the super soldier, no one else entering behind him.

* * *

 **There it is. Needed to find a way to put Skylar and Bucky together and knew this was the perfect way to do that.**

 **Until next time~**


	8. Chapter 8

**And I'm back haha**

 **It's been a crazy week and still, it is not over but I had to get an update out to you all today. I pushed myself to get this out to you all so I hope you like it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters**

Silently, Skylar followed the group of guards that escorted her down a few flights before Ross chuckled, gesturing with his hand over his shoulder as they seemed to change direction for the time being.

"I would like to show you something while we are down here, Ms. Stark." Ross mentioned as they walked through rows of computers and security before Ross put a code into the side of the wall, the large steal door in front of them slowly slipping open.

She hadn't seen who was in the room until the guards all but pushed her inside, a single table sitting near the entrance before her eyes landed on the glass cage sitting opposite the table. Glass cage. Blue steal eyes met hers as she barely caught herself on the table, thanks to the contraption still locked around her.

Blue storm eyes widened before he growled, his eyes scanning her to see a few scratch marks marring her perfect skin then to her hazel eyes.

"Sk-Sky." He whispered frantic, sitting up as far as his own locks would allow him, concern and anger flaring through him as he noticed she was in her own pair of matching cuffs.

"It warms my heart to know that you two know each other." Ross mocked from the corner as she turned, glaring over at the man who only chuckled amused.

"Let. Her. Go. Now." Bucky warned, thrashing shortly in his confinement as Ross looked to him, only mildly worried that he would break out.

"You don't make the rules here Mr. Barnes." Ross tutted at the man who only growled further.

"Besides, it's best to keep you both on lock down, don't you think?" He added with a flick of his wrist, signaling the men to grab Skylar forcefully away from her hunched form on the table.

"I am quite curious about something concerning you two though." Ross looped his arms behind his back as he confidently strode towards where Bucky was being restrained behind thick glass.

"You two are quite alike, excluding the metal arm and extra abilities. Don't you think?" Ross leaned into the glass, his eyes intently watching Bucky's face for any change of expression. Unfortunately for him, Bucky had been trained in the art of keeping a completely straight face, even through pain. But Ross knew, Skylar wasn't the same and turned to face her with a smirk.

"Wouldn't you agree Ms. Stark? The similarities between the two of you are uncanny, aside from Mr. Barnes being old enough to be your grandfather. Enhancements of sorts, history with HYDRA, a ledger red from top to bottom, impressively bilingual and on top of it all, you both have a deep connection to Captain America. Now, is that irony or coincidence?" Ross was now standing in front of Skylar who had been slowly paling with each word, something sparking inside of her.

Something she hadn't remembered from her time with HYDRA.

Something that was buried so deep inside her head, she hadn't realized it was hidden till now.

Ross was right. Completely right and she hadn't even realized it till he pointed out the obvious.

Zola had pointed out that she was Steve's weakness as Bucky had once been.

She had met Bucky within HYDRA, almost coincidentally.

HYDRA made her train with Bucky during her time there.

HYDRA fought for her to forget her knowledge of their asset and of her past, her present and her future.

HYDRA injected the same serum into her that they did into Bucky.

Now that she thought about it, they always threw her in with Bucky whenever they could.

She shut her eyes, shaking her head of the poisonous thoughts that ran through as various memories, ones that she had forgotten, whether on purpose or on accident, flooded the forefront of her mind.

"You remember, don't you?" Ross taunted, noticing the way Skylar's shut eyes tightened in pain.

"Sky, don't listen to him." Bucky shouted over suddenly as she shook her head again, her eyes fluttering open as they flashed back and forth between violet and hazel.

"That is why HYDRA created you. What better way to take over the world then to make a female version of the Winter Soldier? What better way to 'breed' their next generation of super soldier assassins then to bring two such alike people, with similar connections, together?" Ross's words continuously stabbed at her heart as she shut her eyes, realizing that the man, though annoying, was completely right. Why hadn't she seen it before?

"Sky….." Bucky called out in concern as she blinked away the tears filling her eyes, violet quickly encasing the hazel orbs of her eyes.

"I think it is in the best of this countries interest, to keep the likes of both of you, locked up, don't you think so?" Ross randomly turned to a guard who looked startled at the acknowledgment, nodding unsure sending Ross chuckling.

"That's settled then. Escort Ms. Stark down the hall to her own confinements." Ross commanded as the guards nodded, grabbing the unresponsive Skylar who stumbled in her dazed space with Bucky yelling out in the background.

Skylar hadn't even realized she was locked in something similar to Bucky's glass cage, until Ross stepped into sight, lightly tapping on the glass, gathering her attention. She blinked in surprise, looking around confused to her new surroundings before meeting Ross's proud eyes.

"Meals are at eight and five. Toilet privileges, twice a day." Ross explained as Skylar finally glanced around, noticing her confinements.

"You will be confined and treated as a terrorist weapon." Ross's eyes darkened slightly as he eyed her through the glass.

"We have a doctor on site that will attend to Barnes for the time being, evaluate him and then he will come over and do the same for you." Ross began to pace the small space in front of her cage, his eyes intently watching his boots.

"As for your 'fiancé' and friend, they will be evaluated and then given to Secretary General for questioning and punishment."

In the meantime….

Both Steve and Sam had been escorted into the glass meeting room in the center of HQ, locked in with Sharon Carter watching them closely. The moment they had stepped in, Sharon's eyes hadn't left Steve, watching the way he shifted uncomfortably in his seat or glared around the room.

Glancing around momentarily at the other officers working, she tapped in a few numbers into the keyboard below her, allowing the screens to flicker on, showing both Bucky's confinements and an empty confinement which they immediately put together as Skylar's.

Soon enough voices, entered the room as Bucky's camera showed Ross leading in a group of soldiers who pushed Skylar into the same room. Immediately Steve shot out of his seat and to the screen showcasing both his best friend and fiancé.

"Sky." Sam whispered in realization, slowly standing from his seat.

" _Sk-Sky_." A voice carried through the live stream as Steve's eyes narrowed in on his best friend recognizing his fiance now in the room.

" _It warms my heart to know that you two know each other_." Ross taunted sending Steve's hands clenching into fists, wanting nothing more than to rip the proud grin off the man's face.

" _Let. Her. Go. Now_." Bucky threatened thrashing in his seat as Sam slowly approached Steve's side, watching the interaction.

" _You don't make the rules here Mr. Barnes_." Ross shook his head with a laugh only fueling Steve's anger further.

"What does he want with her?" Steve's hardened eyes turned to Sharon, insisting answers he knew the woman held. Sharon glanced at the two men now glaring at her, wondering if it was a good idea to tell them why Ross wanted Skylar locked up with the Winter Soldier.

" _Besides, it's best to keep you both on lock down, don't you think_?" Ross added as the soldier's pulled Skylar to stand, catching both men's attention away from the relieved Sharon who now stood just a little further from them.

" _I am quite curious about something concerning you two though_." Ross slowly made his way towards Bucky as Steve stiffened just a bit at the sight.

" _You two are quite alike, excluding the metal arm and extra abilities. Don't you think_?" Ross leaned into the glass, his eyes intently watching Bucky's face for any change of expression. Steve's eyes narrowed further, if at all possible, watching the way his friends face hardened just slightly at the man's accusations.

"Why bring Skylar into all of this? Why bring her down to the Winter Soldier?" Sam then asked outloud, his eyes panning the room over to Sharon who averted her eyes immediately.

" _Wouldn't you agree Ms. Stark? The similarities between the two of you are uncanny, aside from Mr. Barnes being old enough to be your grandfather. Enhancements of sorts, history with HYDRA, a ledger red from top to bottom, impressively bilingual and on top of it all, you both have a deep connection to Captain America. Now, is that purposely or coincidence_?" Ross added, now standing right in front of Skylar.

"He's right. They are both alike in some ways." Sam whispered under his breath in realization while Steve's eyes were glued to his fiance's form, one he could only see from behind thanks to the camera's placement.

" _You remember, don't you_?" Ross's taunting words flooded Steve's system as an uneasiness settled deep in his belly. Something wasn't right.

" _Sky, don't listen to him_." Bucky shouted over at Skylar as Steve stepped just a bit closer to the screen, wanting nothing more than to see her face.

" _That is why HYDRA created you. What better way to take over the world then to make a female version of the Winter Soldier? What better way to 'breed' their next generation of super soldier assassins then to bring two such alike people, with similar connections, together_?" Ross's words continuously taunted Steve before the word 'breed' sent horror and realization through his bones.

"HYDRA created her as the perfect breeding specimen for an army of Super Winter Soldiers." Sharon's voice ripped through the tension in the room like a knife as Steve's eyes shot over to the woman who now stared at him with all the guilt in the world.

"Breed?" Sam asked for clarification, his face paling by the second at the possibilities this new found information held.

"A Special Ops team was sent to the base the Avengers annihilated and recused Skylar Stark from. They found some very interesting information and tests surrounding those two still intact." Sharon slid a file across the table, knowing anyone on the other side of the glass would not stop her at this point.

Bile slowly rose up Steve's throat as his hands hesitantly reached out to grab said file. Flipping it open immediately, his heart soared down into his stomach as the first file showed pictures of both his best friend and fiancé with the bold print stamped across the top reading ' ** _Militärzuchtprojekt'_**.

"What does it say Cap?" Sam asked hesitantly, seeing the way the super soldier's hands were now beginning to shake.

"Military Breeding Project." Steve whispered under his breath, his eyes and ears barely registering anything around him.

Skylar's head hung as Ross's footsteps left the room, followed by the loud thud of the steel door sliding shut in front of her. How could she have forgotten such a thing? Breeding. HYDRA had made her specifically to breed with the Winter Soldier, her fiancé's best friend. She wanted to throw up, viciously at the thought. She had forgotten such an important thing from HYDRA yet everything else was clear as crystal in her mind.

Her eyes shot open down at her lap as hesitation now crawled into her stomach, her head slowly lifting, peering into the large room guarded by a trio of armed soldiers and into the tallest corner. Camera. Fear, guilt, nausea settled in her stomach, knowing somehow that Steve had heard everything that was discussed in Bucky's cell. If not Steve, Tony and Natasha for sure and then it wouldn't be too long before Steve and Sam were to have found out.

Great.

"Tony." Nat approached the man that had yet to leave the seat he had been harboring in since Ross had Skylar forcefully taken away. She knew he was trying to work some things through his mind, like the fact that he just stood there as the only living family was taken away like a rabid animal. Tony cleared his throat, turning his head to side eye the woman who was now silently standing behind him.

"Any update?" Tony forced an uncaring expression on his face as his eyes caught sight of the screen now playing what seemed to be a conversation between Barnes, Ross and his cousin, Skylar.

Tony shot to his feet, marching to the closest screen, his eyes boring into it.

"What the hell is she doing in there?" Tony hissed as Nat came to stand beside her, a look of annoyance crossing her face.

"Did you really think Ross was just going to take her straight to her confinement? He's manipulative." Nat spat back, crossing her arms over her chest as they listened in on the conversation happening.

"Son of a bitch." Tony massaged the bridge of his nose, his mind in a tangle of thoughts trying to come up with a solution for all the shit that was happening.

"Oh god….Tony." Nat whispered, going as far as nudging him in the ribs with her elbow, startling the man from his thoughts as he turned to glare at her only to see the paleness in her face grow as she gestured to the screen. Tony turned to the screen, narrowing his eyes and listening intently before the word 'breeding' came into play.

Tony's eyes widened, unable to believe anything he just heard before his eyes hardened, turning to Nat in accusation.

"You knew about this?" Tony hissed, his hands making way to grip the woman around the neck only for Nat to push him away, shaking her head frantically.

"No, I didn't know about this. I swear." Nat defended, her eyes hard as ice, her heart thumping loudly in her ears at the new information. She couldn't believe her ears.

"The receipt for your gear." Sharon stepped back into the eerily silent glass office, slipping a file over to Sam who barely stopped it from sliding completely off the table. The man pulled his eyes from the super soldier beside him, flipping the cover of the file open before scoffing in irritation as he glared up at the blonde woman.

"Bird costume?" He asked less than amused as she sighed and shrugged.

"I didn't write it." She admitted as he rolled his eyes, slapping the file shut in annoyance.

"Why would the task force release this photo to begin with?" Steve's sudden question startled the other two out of staring at the CCTV feed of Bucky and the doctor, noticing Steve was now holding the newspaper clip of Bucky's photo from the Vienna bombing.

"Get the word out, involve as many eyes as we can?" Sharon offered with a shrug, not completely understanding what the Captain's question was about.

"Right. It's a good way to flush a guy out of hiding. Set off a bomb, get your picture taken." Steve nodded, tapping his finger on the photo of his friend before his eyes swept up to the two screens, one showing his friend being evaluated by an unfamiliar person and his fiancé waiting her turn to be questioned by the same.

"It got 7 million people looking for the Winter Soldier." Sharon agreed, staring down at the Captain, knowing they were both on to something.

"You're saying someone framed him to find him." Sharon added as Steve nodded in agreement.

"Steve, we looked for the guy for 2 years and found nothing." Sam pressed on, looking at the Captain seriously.

"He didn't bomb the UN. That turns a lot of heads." Steve shook his head, turning his attention back down to the photo in front of him.

"Skylar even said she couldn't find one camera that Barnes was on the day of the bombing. He wasn't anywhere near the UN." Sam added as Steve nodded, the pieces quickly falling into place.

"So? That doesn't guarantee that whoever framed him would get him, it guarantees that we would." Sharon stopped speaking when she realized what was happening, all eyes snapping over to the pair of screens playing in front of them.

Within seconds the lights shut off before the emergency lights flickered on, beacon lights flashing around the room as Steve and Sam were on their feed in seconds.

"Great. Come on, guys! Get me eyes on Barnes and Stark." Ross commanded the security personnel, whipping orders around the room.

"Sub-level 5, east wing. Go." Sharon urged as the security lock on the door, clicked open enough for them to escape.

 **So, this is where I planned to take Bucky and Skylar's connection. I needed something that was just a bit deeper and came up with this idea. I know many of you will probably be upset by it but have faith in me, it'll work out in the end, I promise.**

 **Reviews are appreciated!**

 **See you next week~**


	9. Chapter 9

**No excuses today, barely got this out to you guys thanks to life lol**

 **Hope you all enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters**

 **NOTE: Bold -** German

* * *

Skylar's eyes shot open as she heard the lights flicker off before the familiar red beacons shot on, filling the room with an eerie red glow. Panic settled in her stomach as she glanced around at the soldiers guarding her, watching as confusion and hesitation set across their features before the one at the door began putting the override code into the door, allowing it to slowly slip open.

It was quiet, too quiet on the other side and hauntingly dark. Sitting up just a bit, she wanted to peek into anything but every time she tried, it would rebound back and attack her instead.

"Sub-level 1, do you copy?" One of the soldiers called into the walkie on his shoulder, his gun up at the ready as the 3 stood defensively in front of her glass cage.

"No answer." The soldier offered as the three glanced momentarily at each other before a quick succession of 3 gunshots went off, expertly taking down the 3 within milliseconds.

Skylar squeaked out in surprise and fear as splatters of blood shot at the glass door in front of her, the bodies of the two closest to her, sliding down the glass before falling onto the ground unmoving.

Swallowing down her dry throat, now completely vulnerable and at will for whatever was coming, she stared into the darkness beyond the doorway, waiting for whatever was stalking towards her to appear.

At first it wasn't what she had expected as an unfamiliar man in glasses came strolling in and right to the glass door with a small smile.

"Hello Ms. Stark." His accented voice sent disgust and fear down her spine as she retracted back into her seat as far as it would allow.

"I apologize for the rude entry but I wonder if you would help me with something." He added, ignoring the look on her face as he reached into his shoulder bag pulling out a small red book with a black star printed in the middle of the cover along with another silver one that had more than one star painted across the front.

Skylar's eyes shot open in realization and recognition to what the books were and shook her head, her eyes whipping up as another form entered the room.

"Bucky." She whispered terrified as said man stared at her blankly, staying a few feet behind the unfamiliar man who was now fiddling through the pages of the book.

"You could imagine my surprise when I acquired said book from an old colleague and found out that there was another, just for you." He waved the silver one around in front of her, slipping the unneeded red one back into his bag.

"And what luck would bring me straight to the person that has been named the female version of the Winter Soldier. Tell me, how was it breeding with him? I imagine he could be quite rough around the edges." The man teased sending an ice cold stab through her heart as her head slowly hung.

"You two will lead HYDRA into the future." He slowly smirked, finding the page he needed as Skylar's tear filled eyes slowly lifted to meet Bucky's.

"Please don't." She whispered desperately at the unknown man, her eyes pleading with him not to do what she knew he was about to do. Her eyes flashed from the man to Bucky who continued to stare at her blankly from the corner.

" **Vergessen**." (Forgotten) Zemo began as a harsh pain shot through her form as she shut her eyes tightly.

"No. Stop. Please" She begged again, shaking her head, attempting to rid the thoughts from her mind.

" **Gebrannt**." (Burned) Zemo continued as her head hung back, staring blankly up at the ceiling of lights above her.

" **Zweiundsiebzig. Tagesanbruch. Kessel. Sechszehn. Gutartig. Heimkehr. Zwei. Güterwagen**." (Seventy Two. Daybreak. Boiler. Sixteen. Benign. Homecoming. Two. Freight Car.) Skylar screamed and thrashed through the pain that each word sent through her mind. It was like someone was stabbing her brain with a rusted knife and twisting it.

The pain was unimaginable. She hadn't been called under like this since she had been rescued from HYDRA and quite frankly, this part of the process still gave her nightmares till this day. How Bucky went 70 years going through this pain was beyond her, but she was more terrified then she ever had been. Not only was Bucky gone but now, she was slowly drifting. Death and damage were already knocking on her front door as she shut her eyes, letting the pain of fighting against it, go.

And just like that, she felt the last of her free will, slip from her mind and into the darkness with her consciousness.

" **Soldat**?" (Soldier) Zemo asked softly, noticing the way Skylar was no longer thrashing in her seat. Slowly, Skylar lifted her head, her blank violet eyes meeting his own.

" **Bereit zu erfüllen**." (Ready to comply) Skylar's husky voice answered sending a bright smile across Zemo's face.

"Perfect. **Soldat. Brechen sie aus**." (Soldier, Break her out)

* * *

"He's not here." Steve whispered under his breath, his eyes whipping around the now empty confinement room, only seeing the broken door leading to Bucky's cage lying on the ground.

"Sky." Sam suddenly shouted in realization as both men took off running in the only direction they knew to look.

"Help." A voice whispered from inside a room just in front of them causing them to run faster towards it. The moment Steve saw who was calling for help, he marched ahead of Sam in anger. Grabbing the man by the collars of his coat, he lifted him from the ground before pinning him to the wall in front of him.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Steve snapped in his face causing Zemo to smirk as he watched the two shadows moving in the darkness of the room.

"To see an empire fall." Zemo smirked just as Sam stepped into the room, Bucky was on him quickly. Sam barely dodged the swing of Bucky's metal arm as it came soaring through the air and into the cement doorway beside him. Catching the Falcon off guard, Bucky threw a punch to his stomach before grabbing his jaw, tossing him across the room, his back making contact with what was left of the glass cage sitting vacant in the middle of the room.

"Buck…." Steve turned at the sight of his friend fighting Sam, caught off guard as a smaller fist was sent in his direction, knocking him back against the wall in surprise. Opening his eyes, blinking them a few times, he watched the tips of her familiar silver hair disappear out the door.

Pushing himself to stand, he made to run after her, seeing her marching away in the distance, a command in her step before Bucky immediately began to attack him, throwing punch after punch, kick after kick, sending the two super soldiers fighting out into the hallway towards the elevator.

"Bucky, this isn't you." Steve groaned out, fighting against the strength of his metal arm currently aiming at his face. But it wasn't enough, Bucky wound his arm back up and sent it once more at the super soldier, throwing him through the metal doors of the elevator and down into the empty shaft below.

Bucky peered in blankly at the body below before feeling a hand on his shoulder. Tensing slightly as he was suddenly caught off guard, he turned to face the familiar violet eyes staring back at him.

" **Kommen Sie. Wir müssen das beenden**." (Come, we must finish this.) She spoke seriously as the Winter Soldier took one more look down the shaft before brushing past her towards the stairs.

Skylar watched her partner disappear through the emergency exit doors before feeling someone slide up beside her.

" **Wir werden dieses Reich sehen**." (We will watch this empire fall) The man spoke to her as she nodded, her head snapping over at the sound of another voice.

"Hey!" Sam shouted as he noticed the two speaking near the elevator, slowly pushing himself up before running at them.

" **Gehen. Beenden, was getan werden muss**." (Go. Finish what must be done.) The man pushed her ahead of him as her legs did what they were told and took off after the Winter Soldier to find him, levels below, fighting a group of guards before a man with glasses ran out, shooting something out of his hand at the Winter Soldier.

Glaring at the man, she watched him fight for his life before she took charge, her hand snapping out, a violet aura encircling him and lifting him in the air causing him to shout in surprise.

"Sk-Sky?" He spoke in surprise as he glanced over his shoulder at her just as the Winter Soldier pushed her aside, catching an attack from an unknown blonde woman who looked to be out to kill her.

" **Eile. Mehr kommen**." (Hurry. More are coming.) She offered her partner before turning to the man she was still holding.

"Skylar, this isn't you. Remember who you are." The man pushed as she continued to glare at him, scoffing as her eyes glowed once more.

"I know who I am." She hissed before snapping his consciousness, watching as his body fell to the ground unmoving, yet breathing.

Turning at the sound of coughing, another man was now attacking her partner as she growled, running and throwing herself on him, wrapping her thighs around his neck from behind before whipping her body back, throwing him with her as she landed on her hands and knees in front of the Soldier.

" **Gehen. Ich werde mit ihm umgehen**." (Go. I'll deal with him.) She commanded, noticing the slight hesitation the Soldier broadcasted before he nodded and took off, leaving her with 2 females and the dark skinned male in front of her.

"No, wait." The red head stopped the blonde one from pulling out her weapon as Skylar slowly pushed herself to stand in a defense. The blonde turned to the red head, looking at her like she was crazy before both women turned to look back at her.

"You know us Sky. You know me." The redhead pushed, taking a step forward as Skylar's eyes narrowed further, silently threatening the woman not to take another step.

"We're family. This isn't you." She added, staying where she was.

"I don't have any family." She muttered under her breath, taking a step back as her eyes flashed over to the blonde who continued to stare at her, her hand still on her holstered weapon. She wanted to kill her, she knew that much. This woman had almost been begging to shoot her since she first stepped foot in the room.

"Skylar…don't." The redhead begged, already noticing the way her eyes were flashing around the room, accessing all exits and anything of use.

"Who the hell is Skylar?" Skylar smirked, not wasting any time as her hands shot out, sending the dark-skinned man soaring through the room and through a glass wall. The redhead was next as Skylar shot a small ball of electricity at the woman who attempted to dodge it, had Skylar not have anticipated it ahead of time. She was thrown with a squeal of pain into a pair of tables that easily broke under her fall.

That's when she heard the click of guns safety coming off, her violet eyes flashing over to the blonde woman now training her hand gun on her.

"Ms. Stark. I would much rather not have to resort to lethal ways of stopping you." The blonde's voice shook, whether in fear or exhaustion, she didn't care, all her mind was telling her was that she was in immediate danger and that said danger needed to be disposed of.

"Stopping me? You think you can?" Skylar smirked, rolling her neck as her hands clenched into fists, waiting for the woman's first move.

"The captain would not appreciate me shooting his fiance, I am sure of that." The woman added as a flash of something, something familiar, fluttered through the forefront of her mind, momentarily distracting her from the person sneaking up behind her.

"Fiance?" Skylar asked slowly as the woman took in a calming breath, nodding to her question.

"You are marrying Captain America in the coming winter, from what he told me." The blonde offered as Skylar's tense body slowly eased up just as Sam took a swing at the woman with a broken chair leg. The piece of wood broke against the woman's head, sending her sprawling across the floor unconscious.

"Sorry Sky." Sam apologized, immediately wrapping the wound at the side of her head before pulling her unmoving form into his arms just as Sharon reached over to check her pulse.

"You're lucky you didn't kill her with that hit." Sharon muttered with a breath of fresh air, sheathing her gun back into her thigh holster while Sam adjusted the woman in his arms.

"It was the only way." Sam answered out of breath as Sharon looked around once before nodding.

"Go. Get out of here before back up shows up." Sharon pushed Sam as he nodded a quick thank you before running out of the building towards the groups rendezvous point.

* * *

Pain is what welcomed her when she finally had the strength to move her limbs. She took in a painful breath as her eyes fluttered behind her lashes before slowly they flickered open to the dull room she was now lying in. Squinting, even though it was anything but bright, she lifted a hand to touch where it hurt the most, feeling a makeshift bandage pressed and tied to the side of her head.

What the fuck had happened?

She groaned, shutting her eyes as another wave of pain ripped through her head, causing her to roll on her side, almost spilling the contents of her stomach all over the dirty ground, had it not been for the voice calling out to her.

"Sky! Cap! She's up!" A voice shouted somewhere behind her as she continued to cough and moan in pain before a hand on her shoulder yanked her from her thoughts, throwing her into defense mode as she grabbed the hand, making to throw whoever it was away from her before a familiar face slipped into her range of view.

"Doll." Steve's voice whispered in concern and hesitation as she let out a breath of relief, shutting her eyes as the pain lulled through her head again.

"What happened?" She whispered, holding a palm to her wound, loving the dullness the pressure gave the pain.

Steve shut his eyes in relief, pulling her into his arms as he sat beside her on the dirt covered ground, careful of her head.

"Don't worry about it. Are you alright?" Steve didn't want to bring up what had happened back there if she couldn't remember, this wasn't the time to bring up things like that.

"I hit you." Sam admitted as her eyes slowly peeled open, seeking out his own as everything that had happened in the past day, flashed through her eyes quickly.

* * *

Moments later:

"Did I kill anyone?" Skylar finally asked from where she was perched in one of the warehouse windows, peeking out at the gloomy sky. Steve and Sam had kept their distance, at her insistence, though not without a fight from her super soldier who wanted to do nothing but hold her and let her know that none of it was her fault.

"No doll, you didn't." Steve confessed, watching her shoulders drop just a bit, releasing some of the tension that had been building up with the thought that she had killed someone.

"You knocked Tony out, pretty good though." Sam added, earning him a glare from Steve and a snort from Skylar as she heard it.

"Well, one good thing came out of it." She muttered half-heartedly under her breath as she lifted a hand up to hold her head.

"And Bucky? Where is he?" She asked hesitantly as Steve and Sam glanced at each other unsure.

"He's here doll. Safe." Steve admitted, hearing the way she let out a breath of relief at that information.

"I'm gonna go check on Barnes." Sam suddenly whispered over to the super soldier, feeling as if he was intruding on a private conversation that the pair desperately needed to have. Steve glanced over at him with hesitant eyes, nodding slightly as the dark-skinned man patted his shoulder comfortably before slipping from the room.

Skylar didn't know where she was supposed to go from here. They got Bucky out of Ross's clutches but in the meantime the team found out about some info that she had honestly forgotten, info she now prayed would have stayed a secret. How was she supposed to face Steve now knowing that the man knew about her connection with his best friend? She felt like she was going to be sick, wanting to spew anything left in her stomach all over the already dirty floor.

"Doll." His voice snuck up on her as her eyes snapped over to meet his, surprised to see that he slipped closer to her without her knowledge, while soon realizing that they were alone.

"Let's get you washed up. There's a bathroom with working water still here." Steve held a hand out to her, a small smile blowing across his features though his eyes showed anything but happiness in them.

Swallowing down the guilt burning through her veins, she glanced down at his offered hand and melted at the sight of various scratches that littered his skin.

"Come on." He pushed his hand further towards her, already feeling the hesitation and blame pooling around her form.

It took some time and a lot of contemplation on her part before she finally slipped her smaller hand into his much bigger one, immediately noticing that her engagement ring was no longer on her hand.

"It's gone!" She gasped loudly, pulling her hand back, looking at her naked ring finger in horror, tears already beginning to build in her orbs.

"No, no, no, I got it. I took it before they could take it." Steve immediately kicked into gear, pulling the diamond ring from his pocket quickly slipping it onto her shaky ring finger. Skylar licked her dry lips, a few tears slipping through her lashes and down her cheeks as she stared at the diamond in relief.

"Thank god." She whispered, holding her hand to her chest, silently thanking any deity listening that it had not been lost.

"Now, let's get you washed up. Come on." Steve genuinely smiled for the first time since everything went down, feeling his heart flutter at her reaction to his lost ring.

* * *

Steve escorted her through the abandoned warehouse, staying on the same floor she had awoken in, though the bathroom was buried in a far corner at the opposite end. Steve pushed open the creaky door, carefully pulling her in as he kicked the lid on the disgusting toilet shut before guiding her to sit on it.

He stared at her for a moment longer, noticing the faraway look in her eyes as she stared down at her hands in a trance. He could only assume what she was thinking about, so much had happened in the last 24 hours, it could be anything. But deep inside, he knew she was thinking about one issue in particular, something he desperately wanted to address, though he didn't know if it would set her off or upset her more than she already was.

Shaking that thought from his mind, he turned to the towel he had snatched on the way to the warehouse, running it under the surprisingly clear water, dampening the cloth. Wringing it out a bit, he turned, kneeling in front of her, now at eye level with her.

"Doll." He addressed carefully as she blinked her eyes a bit, lifting them to meet his own concerned ones. She looked exhausted and most of all, guilty.

"Is your head alright?" He whispered, ignoring the nagging in the back of his mind, pressuring him to ask the questions on his mind.

Skylar blinked a few more times, allowing his question to simmer in the back of her mind. Was she alright? Maybe? No, she knew she wasn't alright, not by a long shot.

Shutting her eyes, swallowing down her dry throat, she forced a nod out, flat out lying to both herself and him. Steve didn't believe her, not in the least bit but ignored it and got to work, gently cleaning both dirt and blood off her face before moving down to her visible arms and hands.

Skylar watched Steve closely as he robotically cleaned her skin of any evidence from the last 24 hours all awhile the nerves festering on the tips of his lips grew more and more visible to her as the minutes ticked by. She knew he wanted to ask, knew what he wanted to ask and as the minutes continued to roll on and the silence continued to feed the tension between them, something finally snapped inside her. She couldn't take it anymore.

"I can tell you want to ask me about everything. Ask." She whispered, startling him from his work as his horrified eyes shot up to meet her own.

No, he couldn't ask her, could he?

"I don't want to ask you anything doll." Steve lied, averting his eyes quickly before she could notice the hesitation in his orbs.

"You are the worst liar in the world and you know it. Just ask me." She retorted gently, watching the way his shoulders tensed up as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"I know you want to ask about what Ross brought up. Ask me." She almost was at the point of begging, the guilt threatening to explode inside her if she didn't come forward and just confess everything.

Steve sighed, his hands dropping from their place in her own and into his lap, his head doing the same as she watched him closely.

"Why…..why didn't you tell me—tell me about Buck—about the breeding program—everything." Steve whispered desperately, his voice shaking, showcasing the hurt and pain slowly taking him.

Naturally, her heart broke just a little more at the look of pain harboring through his dark blue eyes as they lifted to look at her, waiting for her to respond as tears began to collect on the tips of her long lashes.

"I….." She opened her mouth to answer but her voice was lost in her throat, unsure how to answer his questions now that they were out in the open.

"Were…were you planning on telling me—ever?" He then asked, his voice cutting off slightly on the end as he hung his head, a sniffle reaching her ears as the tears uncontrollably slipped from her lips and down her still dirty cheeks.

"Did…..did you two go through with the tests? With all of them? Each—and every one of them?" He then asked, his voice a bit more rough due to the tears that she knew were spilling from his own eyes at the realization. But, before she could open her mouth to answer, she realized that he had mentioned tests, many tests.

"Tests? How do you know about those?" She whispered nervously as he stood, walking over to the sink, washing out the cloth.

"Agent Carter said that Ross sent a Special Ops team into the facilities we pulled you from. They found information still intact about various tests and other things involving both you and Buck." Skylar's heart soared into her throat while the anger at said woman ripped through her at light speed.

"That…" Skylar growled before Steve turned his eyes on her swiftly.

"Don't curse Agent Carter for showing us those files. If she wasn't willing on letting me into this loop, I would have never known about everything else that happened while you were with HYDRA." Steve didn't mean for it to sound accusing but it came out sounding just like that.

Skylar's eyes widened at the accusation, her heart thumping painfully in her chest as she pushed herself to stand on wobbly legs.

"You're siding with her on this then?" Skylar asked hesitantly, her anger slinking ahead.

"What do you want me to do Sky? You were obviously planning on hiding all this from me yet she was willing to show me everything." Skylar felt like someone had just ripped her heart out and repeatedly tapped danced on it.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The man she loved was siding with another woman over something she had no control of. He had to have known that she had no recollection of what happened until Ross had brought it up.

"I can't believe you." She whispered heartbroken, her hands clenching into fists at her side.

"Believe what? You hid things from me, you know more than anyone else I hate being lied to." Steve added seriously as Skylar's eyes hardened through the tears spilling.

"And you know more than anyone else what HYDRA is capable of?!" She snapped through tears, her whole body vibrating in defense and anger as Steve stepped back in surprise.

"Why the fuck would you think I would have any choice in anything they did to me?! You think I would willing just give myself to your best friend to breed the next generation of Super Soldiers?! I didn't have a fucking choice so don't you dare turn around and accuse me like all those bastards back there did! I'm….I'm not like that, you know that." Skylar broke down, she couldn't hold it in anymore as she sobbed, collapsing just as Steve's arms shot out, immediately catching her in his arms.

"God, I'm sorry doll. I'm so sorry." Steve buried his face in her neck, instantly regretting everything he had said to her. He would blame his exhaustion, nerves or stress on why his mouth had a mind of its own, but he honestly had no excuse for the terrible words he had just spewed at her.

She was right.

HYDRA never gave you a choice in what they planned.

He should have known she would have never given herself up to the Winter Soldier, especially for that purpose.

"I'm so, so sorry doll. Jesus….." Steve whispered, silently cursing himself for even thinking Skylar had anything to do with the breeding program. What was he thinking? This was HYDRA they were talking about.

"Hey Cap!" A voice shouted suddenly, startling the two who had been so lost in their own worlds. Steve kept Skylar pinned to his form, only lifting his eyes to peer out the door to see Sam waving him frantically over. He immediately knew what was happening and sighed, pressing his lips to her forehead as he pulled away, looking down at her in concern.

"He's awake. Do you want to come and see him?" Steve asked carefully, not sure if she wanted to see Bucky at all.

Skylar sniffled, feeling the cracks in her heart continue to send throbs of pain up her form. Did she want to see Bucky? Of course she did but she didn't want to tell Steve that, not after his accusations.

Averting her eyes from his, she sniffled, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hands.

"I'll just be a minute." She whispered, unable to meet his eyes no matter how much he attempted to meet hers.

Steve knew he royally fucked up, worst then fucked up, he had done exactly what he had been preaching against. He accused her of something she had no fault in. He had judged her and blamed her for what she had done in HYDRA. He did exactly what he said he would protect her from.

Shutting his eyes, silently cursing himself again, he forcefully nodded, knowing deep down that she needed some room from him for the time being. He honestly didn't know how long he would be able to keep clear of her but hell, she deserved it.

"Alright. We'll be just down the hall." He made sure to reach over and briefly hold her hand before leaning down to press a light kiss to her damp cheek.

"I love you doll. So much." He whispered, his lips brushing her skin before he pulled back from her hesitantly.

Steve took one more look at her crumbling form and forcefully slipped from the room, making his way to where Bucky was being held.

He had royally messed up.

* * *

 **There is my next update. Hope you all enjoyed it since I do find myself enjoying Skylar's 'other side' coming out to play. She's pretty badass :)**

 **See you next week~**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry this came out so late ;_; Work hates me right now...**

 **Anyways, hope this can hold you over till I find some time to pull up the next chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters**

* * *

It took some time, maybe a few minutes after Steve had disappeared from the bathroom before she finally had pulled herself together enough to come out of hiding.

Honestly, after she got over the initial hurt and pain that Steve's words sent through her, a small part of her couldn't blame him. What she had done in HYDRA was far from innocent. She knew that and she knew in some twisted way, she held some blame over her actions. In a way, she was conscious through the entire ordeal.

But still, his words still stung, deep down.

"Steve." Bucky whispered in relief at seeing his old friend now standing in front of him.

"Which Bucky am I talking to?" Steve asked on the defense, his arms straining to cross over his chest.

"Your mother's name is Sarah. You used to wear newspapers in your shoes." Bucky got this faraway look as he mentioned Steve's mother's name before he let out a breath of laughter at the mention of Steve's need to wear newspapers in his shoes to keep him warm. Steve's defense immediately fell at the man's words, his heart warming at the probability that maybe, just maybe, a part of 'his' Bucky was still in there somewhere.

"You can't read that in a museum." Steve teased with a soft smile, one that was returned by his friend.

"Just like that, we're supposed to be cool?" Sam wasn't buying it on the other hand and continued to look at the one handed super soldier warily.

"What did I do?" Bucky immediately cut off Sam's accusation, knowing that something had happened to have led them here and no longer in cuffs.

"Enough." Steve commented offhandedly, walking over immediately to release Bucky's metal arm from its restraints. Bucky pulled his arm to his chest, clenching and unclenching his fist, listening to the familiar whirl of his plates shifting up to his shoulder.

"I knew this would happen. Everything HYDRA put inside me is still there. All he had to do is say the god damn words…." Bucky began to belittle him before his eyes shot open and over to Steve in realization.

"Sky…." Bucky whispered in a panic as Steve smiled softly at his friends concern for his fiancé and shook his head. Steve was about to inform Bucky of Skylar's location only for the woman in question to step in at that same moment.

* * *

It took some time for Skylar to pull herself together, best enough to get her out of that disgusting bathroom and down the hallway where Steve had disappeared with Sam. That's when she heard a familiar voice speaking just around the corner.

The hurt from Steve's words earlier evaporated as she listened to Bucky's familiar voice speak without any harshness, pushing her to go around the corner and into view just as he mentioned her name.

Hazels met steal blue orbs as she gazed at him sitting beside a machine just across the room. Bucky's eyes widened at her sudden appearance, taking in her various injuries while narrowing in on the bandage wrapped around her head, her silver hair stuck together and knotted.

"Sky." Bucky whispered in concern, her own orbs accessing his own injuries.

"You're okay." She smiled softly at him, taking a few steps towards him before feeling both Sam and Steve flank her, startling her as she stopped at the hold now on her wrist.

"He won't hurt me." Sky pressed Sam who had stopped her from stepping any closer to the man.

"We don't know that." Sam answered without pulling his eyes from Bucky's narrowed ones.

"Sam." Steve warned, seeing the way Bucky's metal arm was silently whirling up for the attack.

"It's alright Bucky. He's just being protective, a lot has happened in the last 24 hours." Sky immediately sensed the way Bucky wanted nothing more than to rip Sam apart and stepped up, wanting to calm him down, which seemed to do the trick. His steal blue eyes whipped over to meet her own in suspicion, wondering if she was being held against her will.

"You're hurt." He mentioned steely as she dryly laughed, lifting a careful hand up to touch her wound with a light wince.

"I'm fine, nothing to worry about. And you?" She then asked, feeling Sam's hand slowly release itself from its tight grasp around her wrist.

"I'm fine, who did that to you?" Bucky dodged her question, immediately diving in to ask who had hurt her which only melted her insides just a bit more. Ever the protective friend.

"Buck." Steve addressed as the man hesitantly pulled his eyes from her own and to the super soldier standing beside her.

"I never thought I'd get the chance to thank you, but thank you, for looking out for Sky while she was in HYDRA." Steve's arm slowly snuck around her shoulder, pulling her into his side though her heart ached as his words from earlier continued to haunt her. A small part of her wanted to pull away and take a step back from his side, but who was she kidding?

Bucky seemed to silently read Steve before looking back over to Sky who was still smiling in his direction.

"She reminded me a lot of you back in the 40's. Fragile yet tough as nails inside. She didn't have to say it but something told me she knew you. That and they always referred to her as 'Mrs. Captain America'. I knew if it were me, you'd do the same. Wasn't about to let your best girl go through that alone, not her. She helped me realize a lot of things in HYDRA and helped me to remember you, little by little." Bucky explained, softly chuckling as his eyes twinkled in a silent protectiveness over Skylar.

"She's amazing isn't she?" Steve teased, pulling her closer to peck her forehead proudly.

"Amazing doesn't begin to explain it but you are welcome." Bucky finally addressed his thank you and let the corner of his lip twitch in a smirk.

"Okay, not to break up the reunion but we have other things to worry about at the moment." Sam suddenly stepped in, breaking up the warm embrace that their reunion was giving her. She sighed, side eying Sam who only stared at the 3 in question.

"Buck, that man. Who was he?" Steve's arm around her tightened briefly as he sent the question over to Bucky who furrowed his brows in thought.

"I don't know." Bucky admitted slowly, his eyes continuing to furrow as if he was digging deep for answers.

"What about you Sky? Any answers?" Sam then turned that same question on Sky who sighed deeply, remembering the man's face briefly in her memories yet still, she shook her head. She had no recollection of who he was.

"I don't know either." She admitted, meeting Bucky's pained glance with her own.

"People are dead. The bombing. The set up. The doctor did all that just to get 10 minutes with you, with the both of you. I need you both to do better than "I don't know." Steve pressed seriously as his dry lips brushed across her wounded temple.

"He wanted to know about Siberia. Where I was kept. – He wanted to know exactly where." Bucky's eyes squinted as he slowly began to remember what the man had been questioning him about before Skylar's eyes widened in realization to what those questions had been pertaining to.

"Siberia." She whispered in horror, remembering a darker part of HYDRA that she had remembered.

"What's in Siberia?" Sam asked in worry, Steve's concerned eyes casting down onto the woman in his arms.

"Why would he need to know that?" Steve then turned his hard eyes to Bucky who stared over at Skylar in regret.

"Because…we're not the only Winter Soldiers."

* * *

It was like a bullet went off in the warehouse. Everything was eerily still and tense after Bucky mentioned the fact that both Skylar and him were not the only 'Winter Soldiers' roaming around.

Shock and horror had shot through Skylar like a lightning bolt to the point that her legs had immediately gave up under her. Steve naturally caught her, shouting in a panic as her blank eyes stared into the distance. Skylar swallowed heavily, her shaky hands patting him, silently telling him that she just needed sometime to process yet another thing that had been wiped from her mind.

Sam now stood beside her as she was sat against the wall beside the doorway to the room, her knees to her chest, forehead planted atop them.

What the hell else had she had forgotten?

"Who were they?" Steve's stance made it obvious that he was not enjoying the new information, not the least bit.

"The most elite death squad. More kills than anyone in HYDRA history. – And that was before the serum." Bucky admitted as Skylar muttered curses under her breath, remembering a time when HYDRA had taken her to the Siberia compound to experience the group for herself. Dear god, how she wanted that specific memory to disappear once again. She was surprised she came out of that experience alive.

"They all turned out like you guys?" Sam then asked hesitantly as she snorted unintentionally at the question.

"Worse." She muttered softly, though everyone heard her.

"The doctor, can he control them?" Steve then asked, his footsteps taking him over to where his fiancé was sitting.

"Enough." Bucky fiddled with his hands in his lap as he answered, unable to meet their eyes.

"He said he wanted to see an empire fall." Steve then turned his attention to Sam who nodded in agreement.

"With these guys he can do it." Bucky confessed seriously as Skylar slowly lifted her head, her hazels meeting his blues.

"How?" Sam then asked, annoyance crossing his face.

"They speak 30 languages, can hide in plain sight, infiltrate, assassinate, destabilize." Skylar rested her head back against the stone wall as Bucky looked at her in guilt once more.

"They can take a whole country down in 1 night. You'd never see them coming." Bucky confirmed with a nod as Steve's eyes panned down to Skylar.

"Like you Sky?" Sam asked the question that had been slipping from Steve's lips just seconds after.

"Just about. Skylar was their beginning prototype on how far they could push us. Once they realized she could survive the tests and serum, they instantly began to do the same to the others. Not alot of them survived the operations." Bucky nodded slowly as Steve sighed, turning his back on Bucky to face the wall.

"This would be a lot easier a week ago." Sam muttered under his breath for the super soldier to hear, his eyes never leaving their newest addition.

"If we could….If we call Tony." Steve offered causing Skylar to stiffen at the man's name, her glare now directed up at him.

"He wouldn't believe us." Sam shook his head immediately as Skylar rolled her eyes.

"Even if he did." Steve added as Skylar narrowed her eyes on him further, almost daring him to call her cousin.

"You call him and so help me….." She hissed silently.

"Who knows if the Accords will let him help." Sam cut off her curse causing Steve to sigh, turning to glance over at Bucky.

"We're on our own then." Steve sighed again, watching the way Bucky and Skylar silently stared at each other.

"Maybe not. I know a guy."

* * *

"You hotwired a bug?" Sam continued to stand just outside the warehouse, staring at the small vehicle in a mixture of amusement and uncertainty.

"It was the only thing that didn't have an alarm. I mean, I could have hotwired that BMW around the corner but no." Skylar grumbled as she climbed out of the driver's seat, pulling the hood of her stolen coat off.

"Couldn't you do your weird voodoo on it?" Sam then asked with overly dramatic hands causing her to glare over the top of the car at him.

"Why do I bother even talking to you?" She hissed irritated as Steve stepped out of the building, carrying a duffle bag with what provisions they could get their hands on without being seen.

"You we're careful right?" Steve then asked in concern as she sighed, tossing Sam the keys, startling the man who hadn't been expecting her to do that.

"Yes 'honey', checked the cameras and everything. I'm a ghost." She answered in irritation, slipping into the backseat from the driver's side of the car, Bucky doing the same from the other side.

Skylar couldn't help but watch in slight amusement as the behemoth of a man slipped into the tiny compartment better known as the backseat, all awhile trying to get comfortable as Sam immediately took the opportunity to push the seat back as far as it could go, almost pushing Bucky's knees into his chest.

Really. How was she going to survive this car ride with these 3?

"Got enough leg room back there snowflake?" Sam took on Tony's sarcasm as he slipped into the roomy front seat, slamming the door shut with a chuckle.

"Got enough wing room up there pigeon?" She countered Sam's taunt on Bucky's behalf knowing he was not enjoying the man's constant need to banter with him.

Sam on the other hand, gasped at the nickname, turning in his seat as far as allowed, looking at her as if she just shot his puppy.

"Leave him alone." She warned with a click of her tongue before she sat back in her seat, getting comfortable before feeling a set of eyes on her. Slowly turning, she met Bucky's blues and smiled.

"What? You looked over me my entire time with HYDRA, just returning the favor with these idiots." She muttered embarrassed at her own words, turning to look out the window just as Steve slipped into the car. What she didn't see was the adoring smile Bucky sent her when she wasn't looking. Skylar and Steve were really a match made in heaven.

"We're meeting someone a few blocks from here then we'll find somewhere to lay low for the night then meet up with Barton in the morning." Steve announced to the car as she sat forward, glancing at him from behind his seat.

"Who?" She asked in question as both Sam and Steve exchanged quick looks causing her eyes to narrow.

"The blonde?" She growled out as Steve started up the car quickly, wanting to avoid this particular conversation.

"She has our gear, that's all doll." Steve promised as she rolled her eyes, having nothing to say as she sat back again with a soft hmph.

"Who?" Bucky whispered unsure as Sky sighed, peering up at him.

"This blonde who hit on Steve while I was with HYDRA. I didn't know or find out till a few days ago, now she seems to be popping up everywhere." She hissed the last part under her breath as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"She almost blew up the hotel room we were staying in when Cap decided to be the 40's gentlemen he is famous for and walk said 'blonde' back to her hotel." After the week they had, Sam was enjoying this small moment of entertainment at Skylar and Steve's expense.

"Wait, you didn't tell me she almost blew up the hotel room? Doll!" Steve made to scold her through the rearview mirror as her eyes flashed dangerous between hazel and violet.

"And you didn't tell me about her hitting on you so guess we're even now!" She spat back defensively, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared out the window silently.

"Still don't know how to talk to women." Bucky commented off-handedly as Sam broke out laughing, enjoying the fact that that part of Steve had always been the same.

"Shut up jerk." Steve glared half-heartedly as his friend through the rearview mirror before taking a quick glance at Skylar's upset form before eyeing the road once again.

* * *

20 minutes later and the 4 were trotting down a dirt road that led under a busy highway bridge. Skylar sat up from her rest spot and peered over Steve's shoulder, noticing the black car in the distance, a familiar blonde leaning against the trunk.

"There she is." She mumbled irritate as Bucky glanced down at her briefly, his hand unconsciously grabbing her own in a sign of comfort. Having not expected it, her eyes whipped down to the contact and then up to the man who belonged to the arm.

"It's alright." Bucky whispered, his lips twitching to pass her an awkward smile which caused a short and soft laugh to bubble up her chest. Tightening her grasp on his metal hand, she passed him a grateful smile.

"Be right back." Steve cut the engine, climbing out of the car and towards the blonde.

"If she makes even the slightest movement at him, they'll be scraping her remains off these walls for years." Skylar couldn't help it, she wanted to like this woman, wanted to find something in this woman to like, but her natural ego wouldn't allow her to. She hit on her fiancé, when she wasn't around nonetheless. She had to have known he was off the market for some time before that, everyone in SHIELD had known. At that thought, a darker part of Skylar couldn't help but feel defense against the woman.

* * *

"I'm' not sure you understand the concept of a getaway car." Sharon commented jokingly as Steve smiled.

"It's low profile." He shrugged, briefly meeting Skylar's eyes from over the drivers seat.

"Good, cause this stuff tends to draw a crowd." Sharon unlocked her trunk, popping it open to show the 4's gear and weapons.

* * *

"Can you move your seat up?" Bucky's voice pulled Skylar from her attempt to eavesdrop.

"No." Sam immediately rejected his question sending Bucky growling in irritation.

"Sam, stop being a douche." Skylar scolded, her eyes flashing violet as she shot his chair forward enough that his knees bumped the dashboard sending said man squealing in surprise as he barely caught himself from bashing his face against the windshield.

"Was that really necessary!?" Sam whipped around, glaring at her as she snorted.

"All you had to do was move your seat forward, was that really necessary?" She immediately retorted only pushing Sam to lip a few curses over at her.

"He's a grown ass man, stop babying him!" Sam turned with an hmph, clearly having finished the argument though Skylar wasn't one to easily bend over.

"You're a grown ass man, act like one!" She shot back as Sam froze before muttering more curses under his breath.

* * *

"You know, he kind of tried to kill me, well both of them." Sharon nudged her head in the direction of the car sending Steve's eyes glancing over in the same direction to see Bucky closely watching Skylar as she adjusted the head band around her wound.

"Sorry, I'll put it on the list." Steve apologized for the two, turning to meet her blues again.

* * *

"You know, if you want to blame anyone for what happened between Cap and her, you should blame Fury." Sam's words confused her as she looked up from her engagement ring, one that she had been showing to Bucky.

"What?" She asked with furrowed brows as said man turned in his seat to face her.

"Fury was the one that sent Sharon to guard Cap when you went missing. He said he was worried Cap would go off the deep end of the pond with how serious his depression was at the time." Sam went onto explain as her eyes widened, she hadn't heard about this, not at all.

"Guard?" She then asked unsure as Sam sighed and nodded.

"Fury moved her into the apartment across the hall from Cap's. Wanted her to keep a close eye on him until they could find you. That was about the time Snowflake here came into the picture." Sam gestured over to Bucky who only blinked before realization set in.

"It's not like she meant to fall for Cap, I mean, he's charming, handsome, the complete package, I'm more surprised Romanoff hadn't shagged off with him…" Sam began to ramble as Sky's eyes darkened dangerously as his tease immediately cutting the words from her tongue.

"Anyways, the point is, people fall for people all the time and technically, from what I heard, she didn't know about you. Your situation was kept on lock and key, only for those who needed to know, to know. Fury didn't want just any agent knowing about what had happened, good thing too, there were a lot of HDYRA agents hiding out in SHIELD." Sam explained into further detail, watching the way Sky's eyes slowly began to soften.

"Plus, she risked her life trying to stop the carriers from taking off, giving us enough time to do what we had planned to stop them before they could set out to do what they were made for. She's not all that bad and I'm sure she had no ill intentions against your relationship with Cap, had she'd known."

Greeeeeeat. Now she felt completely terrible about everything she had said and done to the woman. Thanks to Sam.

She stared at the pair talking quietly outside the car and groaned, burying her face into the back of the Steve's chair.

"Great. Now I feel like complete shit. Thanks Sam." She muttered sarcastically as Sam chuckled, reaching back to pat her shoulder only for Bucky to slap his hand gently away.

"Geez, keep your granny panties out of a twist Snowflake, I was just gonna pat her back." Sam grumbled as he held his hand to his chest protectively.

Ego be damned, now she felt like she needed to apologize for everything she said about the woman. She rolled her eyes into the back of her head and groaned a bit louder, fighting against herself to get out of the car and actually converse with the woman for the first time since she met her. Maybe even pass on her condolence for the first time. Shit. Fuck. She didn't want to do this but if she didn't, she felt like her mother would roll over in her grave at her terrible show of manners.

Gah damn it.

"Sam, mind pushing the chair forward so I can get out." She moaned in defeat, reaching between Steve's chair and the car, opening the door as Sam made quick work leaning over the middle console to fold the chair forward enough to allow her out.

"I'll be right back." She reassured Bucky once she recognized the look of hesitation growing across his features. Patting his metal arm, inwardly happy that he had yet to flinch away from her touch to his metal arm, though he still did it with Steve and Sam, before she slipped out of the car, stumbling a bit when she was able to stretch her legs.

* * *

 **Almost getting to the great battle! Almost there! Just a few more chapters and some personal interactions then we'll be there!**

 **I wanted to ask a favor from all my readers, as the official Civil War plot comes up, do you all want to see Skylar stay and fight with the group or fly off with Bucky and Steve to Siberia? Just an interest on what people think because honestly I don't know where to send her. Let me know.**

 **See you next week~**


	11. Chapter 11

**Decided to post a little early this week since I have a habit of always posting late lol**

 **A long chapter ahead, along with some slight smut. Who am I kidding? There is SMUT! A small portion though still SMUT! I'll mark it for those of you that don't enjoy smut lol your loss**

 **WARNING: SMUT! Not a lot, but enough**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters**

* * *

"They're going to come looking for you." Steve mentioned as he gazed down at the various weapons and uniforms that Sharon was able to steal out of confinement before both their heads whipped open to the creaking of the car door.

"Doll." Steve whispered in confusion and concern as she stumbled a bit before catching herself on the car door. Smiling sheepishly over at the two of them, she cleared her throat, adjusting her outfit before slowly approaching the two.

Sharon visible stiffened at her approach, having remembered what had happened the last time the two were face to face and the amount of power she had easily showcased. She hadn't been afraid of said woman before but now that she had a firsthand experience of what exactly she could do, she was slightly terrified.

"Everything okay doll?" Steve's arm immediately looped its way around her shoulder, pulling her into his side protectively.

"Yeah—um—actually, could I talk to her for a minute, alone?" Skylar pulled away slightly from Steve's hold, side eying Sharon who was growing paler by the second at her question.

"Um, doll, it's really not….." Steve easily sensed the tremble in Sharon's form at his fiancés question before said woman cut him off.

"It's alright. I promise. If you're worried, just go stand by the car." She gently pushed him aside, taking his place in front of Sharon who was now swallowing down her dry throat, her eyes pleading Steve not to leave her alone.

"Alright." Steve answered in defeat, silently apologizing to Sharon as he strolled over to the car hood, turning to sit on it, watching the two women.

Skylar sighed, knowing her would not go far, not with how she had reacted each and every time this particular woman was brought up into the conversation. She knew he didn't trust her alone with her, not like she blamed him. Nodding to him, letting him know that she meant no harm, she slowly turned her attention back to Sharon, the woman flinching back slightly when their eyes met.

"Uh—this is so awkward…" Skylar muttered awkwardly under her breath, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

"It would seem I have a lot to apologize and thank you for." Skylar kept her eyes down, unable to meet the woman's eyes as Sharon gazed over at her in confusion.

"Thank me? Apologize? What for?" Sharon asked confused as Skylar sighed a bit louder, finally meeting her eyes.

"Sam told me that Fury instructed you to watch over Steve, while I was 'preoccupied'. I honestly held some ill will against you since he told me about you hitting on Steve. I really wanted to hate you for a long time but…." Skylar began to explain as Sharon's eyes widened in shock, she hadn't been expecting this.

"I didn't know about you two, I swear." Sharon immediately went on to defend sending Skylar softly smiling as she put her hand up to stop her.

"It's alright. Sam told me everything. I'm sorry if I ever came across as terrible to you or anything like that, you've only been trying to help us and I haven't been showing you any sort of gratitude for something you don't have to do." Skylar took a step towards her, her hand naturally reaching out to place on Sharon's shoulder. The blonde one looked at Skylar dumbly for a few seconds before a small smile bloomed on her lips.

"It has been my pleasure, really. Not everyone is out to get you all." Sharon commented back with a slightly brighter smile causing Skylar to chuckle in relief that she hadn't completely destroyed this woman's faith in her.

"Everything alright here?" Steve's voice suddenly entered the conversation as Skylar pulled her hand away to look over Steve's amused orbs.

"Yeah, we're okay, right?" Skylar answered, her hazel eyes meeting Sharon's own, who immediately nodded.

"We're alright." Sharon smiled at the two.

"Thank you, Sharon." Steve wrapped his arms around Sharon, startling the woman who hadn't been expecting anything physical of the man which caused her to awkwardly pat his large back.

"For everything." Skylar smiled over at the woman, not sure if the woman would appreciate her hugging her, not after almost killing her.

"Of course. Take care of yourselves." Sharon nodded, curling a hair behind her ear.

"I should go." Sharon whispered, smiling over at Sam before brushing past the couple towards the driver side of the car.

"Okay."

* * *

Skylar helped Steve load all their necessary gear into the back of their car, the super soldier shutting the trunk before looking down at the smaller woman in amazement.

"So, gonna tell me what that was all about?" Steve leaned against the car as Skylar waved at Sharon's car driving away.

"An understanding on my part, is all. It was far overdue." Skylar commented, unable to meet his eyes as she turned to walk back towards her side of the car before Steve's hand caught her wrist. Opening her mouth to retort being treated like a doll before his lips were pressed firmly to her own. She wanted to fight him off, push him off, still hurt and a bit put out by his words from earlier, but she couldn't. He felt so warm, so safe that she just couldn't find it in her to push him away.

Pulling away, she blinked up at him through doe like eyes, wondering why he had kissed her all of a sudden and was met by an adoring smile split across his features as his hand caressed her cheek.

"I don't know what I did to deserve someone like you but I will be forever grateful to whatever being is responsible for bringing you into my life." Steve whispered, instantly melting her heart as tears filled her orbs.

"You are the most amazing, understanding and selfless woman I have ever met." He continued, placing his free hand on her empty cheek, bringing her closer to rest his forehead against her own.

"I'm sorry what I said earlier when I was upset. I have no excuses for acting that way towards you but I want you to know that I love you so much and will do anything to protect you from whatever is coming our way." He kissed her forehead before they slowly separated, their eyes panning to the backseat window at the same time to see Bucky and Sam smirking and nodding proudly at them from beyond the small piece of glass.

"Oh god." Skylar spun to face away from them, completely mortified that they had been caught making out.

* * *

After getting over the immediate embarrassment of being caught like teens making out, the couple climbed back into the car and made their way to the halfway point. Firstly, the group had originally planned to meet up with Clint immediately after picking up their stuff from Sharon, but due to some unseen circumstances, Clint called Cap to let him know that their meet up had to wait a few hours. Instead of being on the road and waiting for hours for Clint's signal, Steve figured it was best to just find somewhere to rest for the night, out of sight and away from stray eyes.

That's when the group finally pulled up in front of a rundown motel in the middle of nowhere.

"I feel like this is the sort of place we'd need tetanus shots to take a shower in." Sam sat forward in his seat as he squinted his eyes through the dark windshield to take a good look at the motel they were pulling up in front of.

"More like the sort of place that serial killers dump bodies at." Skylar muttered under her breath innocently before her eyes widened in realization to her words, her eyes immediately whipping over to Bucky who just stared at her.

"Sorry, didn't mean it that way." She quickly apologized, her hands floating around him, unsure what to do. Bucky blinked a few times, having not caught onto her comment before the corner of his lip twitched ever so slightly, his metal hand reaching out to place on her shoulder, attempting to calm her down.

"I-It's alright." He whispered reassuringly while the pair in the front seat watched the scene with wide surprised eyes.

Steve knew, Bucky's metal arm was a touchy subject between everyone in the car but for some reason, Bucky didn't feel the least but worried about physically touching Skylar with it though he would flinch away from Steve's unconscious touch to his metal side.

But here they were, watching Bucky naturally reach out to comfort Skylar like it was normal.

Steve's heart thumped painfully in his chest, his eyes taking in the scene for one more second before turning away, unable to take it much longer with the thoughts running through his head. Had they gone through with the project together? He didn't know but he hoped and prayed they hadn't.

"I'm gonna go get us some rooms." Steve announced to the car, his stomach tying in knots at the conversation going on in the backseat before he pushed the door open, only for it to slam in his face.

"Are you crazy? You can't go out there." Skylar immediately scolded from the backseat as his blue eyes shot to her own already peering over the driver seat.

"Why?" He asked confused, having completely forgotten about the last few minutes.

"Tell me one person that doesn't know who Captain America is?" She deadpanned, pointing out the fact that the entire car were wanted criminals. Steve glanced briefly over at Sam who was silently sitting in the passenger seat, nodding in agreement with the woman's words before he sighed, sitting back into his seat.

"Well, we're all wanted, it's not only me." Steve immediately defended, glancing at the back seat through the rear view mirror.

"Why don't we just send Sky out? She can do her 'voodoo magic' on the man and any cameras this shit hole might have." Sam waved his hand unconsciously at the building while Steve looked at him in disapproval.

"I am not about to send my fiance out there where we don't know whose waiting for us." Steve scolded, his heart tightening in his chest at the thought.

"Well we don't really have a choice now do we? We need somewhere to stay and out of the 4 of us, I think I have the best chance at slipping in and out unnoticed." Skylar defended this time, knowing it was getting later in the night and that the cars occupants could really go for some much needed sleep before meeting Clint in the morning.

"Doll, I don't think you understand the seriousness of this situation." Steve turned in his seat as far as the small car would allow, his hard eyes meeting her own unmoving ones.

"And I don't think you understand what I am capable of. If you are so worried about someone recognizing me, I-I've been working on something with Nat and Wanda….or 'was' working on something with them anyways." She muttered the last part hesitantly, all eyes now on her as she swallowed heavily.

"You've been working on something, behind my back, again?" Steve asked angrily as she sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose.

"Not intentionally, we were just fiddling around with stuff one day and it came up." She barked back, her annoyance growing at the stress that was just continuously being stacked on her all day. Shrugging off her coat, tossing it onto the small space still left between her and Bucky, she sighed, placing her hands on her thighs in concentration.

"What are you….." Steve began to ask as she glared half-heartedly at him before shutting her eyes, taking in a deep breath before releasing it slowly.

* * *

 **Flashback:**

 **"You remember that movie 'Lucy' that came out last year?" Nat asked as the trio of women laid sprawled out on the lounge chairs surrounding the empty swimming pool of Stark Tower.**

 **"That one with Scarlett Johannson?" Skylar asked without moving her form from the blazing sun currently caressing her skin.**

 **"That exact one." Nat nodded, pointing at Skylar with the straw of her smoothie.**

 **"What about it?" Wanda then asked from her spot at the ledge of her seat as she absentmindedly fiddled with the water of the pool.**

 **"Don't you think it's almost similar to your situation Sky?" Nat then offhandedly asked as Skylar pulled her sunglasses down, thinking about it as she sat up.**

 **"All except I didn't have drugs smuggled into the country through my stomach." She smirked teasingly as Nat snorted, tossing a used napkin at her friend.**

 **"I'm being serious." Nat scolded as Skylar chuckled and nodded, adjusting her seat so that she could sit up more comfortably.**

 **"She started off like anyone else until all that shit went down and then her mind started growing, just like yours until she got to 100%." Nat explained as she watched through the glass of the tower as Tony and Clint argued about something near the kitchen.**

 **"Are you suggesting that I'm going to disappear once I get to 100% capacity?" Skylar turned to her with emotionless eyes.**

 **"I doubt it." Wanda added suddenly, scooting back into her seat fully to join the conversation.**

 **"What I'm trying to say is that she was capable of doing some insane shit, like changing her appearance, tapping into phone lines, cars, all that." Nat pulled her sunglasses off to meet her friends eyes who were already staring at her in a trance.**

 **"Are you saying it's possible for me to change my appearance?" Skylar sat up straighter, gesturing to herself with her forgotten sunglasses.**

 **"Who knows, you're the only one on Earth with that mind capacity, but it is possible." Wanda agreed with a nod, realizing that her friends mind could definitely offer her much more than she originally realized.**

 **20 minutes later…**

 **"Alright, so concentrate, let's try something small, like the color of your eyes or something along those lines." Wanda sat crossed legged in front of Skylar in her bedroom, Nat sitting closely to the side with Vision nearby.**

 **"Color of my eyes?" Skylar asked as Wanda nodded, holding up a hand mirror she had swiped off her dresser before sitting down.**

 **"Concentrate on what color you want it to be, will it to change, allow your abilities to free flow to help." Wanda explained, holding the mirror up so that Skylar could stare at herself during the process.**

 **Surprisingly to everyone in the room, within seconds of Skylar tensing up in concentration, they watched in amazement as her hazel's began to melt into beautiful blues, almost more blue than Steve's.**

 **"Holy shit." Nat shot out of her seat, her eyes wide as she met Skylar's now blue orbs in shock.**

 **"I look pretty good with blues, don't you think?" Skylar winked teasingly, her insides jumping with excitement at having realized that she had easily done what they had offered.**

 **End of Flashback:**

* * *

Within seconds, the three men watching, dropped their jaws, their eyes widened with every second that passed as Skylar's hair color changed from silver to black, her skin color darkening only slightly before she peeled her eyes open to show them her now green orbs.

Steve's jaw dropped, his mouth opening and closing, unsure what to say as he stared at his fiancé who was almost unrecognizable with the subtle changes to her form. Sam on the other hand, stared at her in amazement, his eyes flashing up and down and across her form, looking for any other changes while Bucky just stared at her with slight pride in his eyes. He knew she would be capable of doing some great things no matter how much darkness was in her past.

"Now, are you okay? Could you push your seat up or do I have to move you myself too?" She pulled her now black hair up into a messy ponytail, her eyes watching Steve as he continued to sit there speechless.

"Come on Cap, let Sky go, she can clearly take care of herself for 5 minutes." Sam patted the man on the shoulder, quickly taking Skylar's side in the conversation.

Steve shook his thoughts from his mind, licking his lips before sighing in defeat as he stepped out of the car, pulling the seat forward before helping her out.

Skylar adjusting the clothes she had been wearing, her eyes glancing around for anything out of the natural.

"Doll." Steve's voice pulled her from her inspection as her now green eyes met his blues.

It was strange, seeing Skylar like this. He expected to see her hazels, or even her silver hair that he was finally used to, but seeing her like this was strange.

"Go in, get our rooms and come out. If anything seems suspicious, you get out of there immediately. Do you hear me?" He took a step towards her, his hands gripping her shoulders tightly before he pressed his lips against her forehead.

"I know the rundown Cap." She chuckled amused as he glared playfully down at her.

"Doesn't make me worry any less." He smiled lightly before pushing her gently towards the motel.

As Skylar and Sam had offered, they had nothing to worry about except the motel employee hitting on Skylar even after she left the office and made her way towards their car, the chubby man flirting with her in Romanian.

She rolled her eyes, listening to what he was saying about her before she met Steve's eyes from across the parking lot, along with Sam and Bucky's. This could either be hilarious or down right messy when they realized why this tub of lard was following her.

When she got within a few dozen feet of the car, Sam was quickly out of the car, not wanting Steve of all people to rip the man's head off though they couldn't fight Bucky on emerging from the car with a growl. Once Bucky was out, nothing could stop Steve from joining the party though he pulled his hood over his head quickly, his sunglasses already set on his nose as he marched over to his annoyed fiancé.

"Everything okay doll?" Steve called out, making sure to get the man's attention as he stomped over, immediately reaching a hand out to pull her protectively against his side, his eyes hard on the man who was now staring at them unfazed.

"Everything is fine. I was just telling this fine man that I am an engaged woman with my 'fiancé'." Skylar emphasized engaged with a waggle of her engagement ring.

Still having not caught onto her words, Bucky stepped up, cursing the man lowly, sending him nodding in agreement to whatever he had said before he was scurrying back to his office as if a fire was on his ass.

"Do I want to know what you said to the man?" Sam eyed the assassin hesitantly as Bucky looked at them innocently.

"I just warned him that she was off-limits and if he did anything to make her feel uncomfortable or violated, he would be answering to me." Bucky answered as if he was commenting on the weather, sending Skylar chuckling as she pulled away from Steve's side, holding up two pairs of keys.

"You got two rooms?" Steve then asked confused as she nodded, making her way to the car to pull out their stuff.

"Figured two super soldiers, a bird and me wouldn't be fitting on two beds." She teased, receiving a glare from Sam who was not at all impressed by her nickname for him.

"Don't worry, it's a conjoined room so technically we are all still in one room." She quickly added, seeing the disagreement in Steve's eyes as he began helping her unload the trunk of the car.

* * *

"I'll sleep in here with Snowflake, I rather not share a bed with any of you." Sam pointed out to the only room that had two queen size beds while the other only had one. Skylar shrugged uncaring, tossing her bags beside the single queen and headed over to the bathroom to check it out.

Surprisingly, it wasn't as bad as they had originally thought it to be. Sure, the outside was rundown and completely crap but inside, it was decent. They had clean running water and the beds didn't smell like piss, which was a plus for all of them.

"You sure Sam?" Steve followed the two into the conjoined room where Bucky was already getting comfortable on one of the beds closest to their conjoined door.

"Dude, it's alright, really and you're right there. If you're worried, sleep in the doorway." Sam laughed as he grabbed a pair of clothes out of his bag, already heading towards their own bathroom.

"We leave at 600 hours." Steve informed Sam as he brushed past him to the bathroom, nodding as he shut the door, the sound of water following quickly after.

"I'm gonna shower. Do you need to do anything in the bathroom?" Skylar's voice asked from behind him as he turned to see her digging through her own bag on their shared bed.

"No, I'll be fine." He reassured her as she grabbed a change of clothes, smiling softly at him, finally back in her normal appearance before she disappeared into their own bathroom to shower.

"You gonna be okay Buck?" Steve asked out as said man peered over at him from his pillow.

"I'll be fine, worry about your girl." Buck smirked lightly as Steve chuckled shaking his head before disappearing into their dark room.

* * *

 **-SMUT-**

Skylar hung her head back, sighing out in content as the hot water from the showerhead flowed over her form, caressing all her wounds, all except the one on her head that she kept out of the flow of water. Turning her back to the water, she began to caress her form with the bar of soap she had thankfully packed, cleaning blood and dirt from her skin before she heard a knock.

"Come in." She called, glancing through the fogged glass as she watched Steve's familiar form slip into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

"Just wanted to brush my teeth." He explained as he trailed over to the sink just beside the shower, turning the water on.

Steve fought with himself as soon as he stepped into the bathroom. They were literally in the middle of a war and the moment he stepped into the bathroom to do something as simple as brushing his teeth, his hormones shot through the roof at the sight of her naked form through the fogged glass. Swallowing heavily, fighting back on his instinct, he focused on his toothbrush as if it was the most interesting thing in the room, which it wasn't.

Skylar watched him closely through the glass doors, her mind running away with itself as he bent over to spit into the sink, watching his muscles move through his tight shirt as he did so. She couldn't help it anymore. Blame it on stress, on exhaustion, on anything but she couldn't fight the sudden want she had building for him as her hand snuck down her stomach to her core where she was already dripping heavily. Biting her lip, she fought back the moans that were fighting to rip out of her throat as she silently hopped that the fogged glass hid her from him well.

Slipping a hand into her tight cunt, she tossed her head back, whimpering softly at the feeling.

"Doll?" Steve's voice startled her from her episode as she practically ripped her soaked finger from her core, her eyes snapping over to his silhouette just on the other side of the glass.

"Y-Yes?" She asked, clearing her throat when she realized she sounded anything but innocent at the moment.

"You okay in there?" He asked, having heard the small noises coming from her form suddenly, worry and concern emitting off of him.

Swallowing heavily, licking her suddenly dry lips, she made to answer before watching as his form stiffened on the other side.

Steve took in a deep breath, a scent he knew all too well, filling his nostrils and caressing his lungs. Exhaling, his eyes now blown with lust, he took a warning step towards the shower door, his eyes taking in her form now planted against the back wall of the shower. He had a feeling, she knew what she was doing to him and for once, he could care less what sort of crap they were going through at the moment. He wanted her and bad.

"Doll." He addressed lowly, his hand coming out to rest on the warm glass completely fogged out, his eyes seeking out any sort of skin he could pinpoint through it.

"Hm?" She answered, her back pressed against the cold wall as she watched him approach.

Seeing him so close after pleasuring herself for such a short time, sent her core throbbing in need. She needed him. How long had it been since they had each other? Too long if you ask her.

She eyed his form through the glass, biting down into her lip when a whimper emerged with no warning, naturally, one that Steve easily picked up through the sound of falling water.

Shutting his eyes, he rested his head on the warm glass, letting out a jagged breath of air as her scent continued to suffocate him.

"Doll…..I…..I need you." He whispered desperately, already feeling his shaft straining to break free through his jeans.

Skylar almost melted into a puddle at his confession, her legs wobbling under her as she fought to keep herself standing tall. Her hands roamed the wall behind her, searching for something to hold onto as her eyes bore through the glass at him.

"I-I need you too….." She squeaked out in want, her long hair clinging to her suddenly hot body.

She didn't expect her words to affect him so quickly as she barely batted her lashes before his form was pressed up against her, fully clothed and hot. Skylar squeaked out in surprise at his quick reaction before moaning out, louder than she had expected as his hands pinned her arms to the wall behind her, his lips ghosting up the expansion of her throat.

"You smell…so good." His husky voice whispered tantalizingly slow as he rested his forehead on her bare shoulder, his eyes immediately darting down to her naked form, pressed perfectly against his own.

She felt like she was going to explode. She didn't know how else to explain the feeling coursing through her aside from a fuse being lit and on the brink of completely going off without any warning. Her body felt like it was on fire and the pain in her head was long forgotten as her lust blow eyes met his own. She wanted him, desperately, needed him.

Without waiting another second, she dove forward, ignoring the awkward movement her pinned arms gave her as she pressed her lips hungrily against his own. She knew she had caught him completely off guard, but she didn't care. No. Ironically, neither did he as his hands slipped from their hold on her forearms, gripping her hips painfully, attempting to bring her even closer.

Their bodies molded together, one completely clothed, the other naked as the day she was born. Skylar rolled her hips in need, her naked core barely brushing the zipper of his jeans, sending the super soldier groaning deep into her throat at her touch.

"I'm…..I'm not gonna last…." Steve rasped out, pulling away from her swollen lips out of breath as Skylar quickly got to work with releasing his shaft from the confinements of jeans.

Pulling his rock solid cock from his pants, Steve moaned at the feeling of her small hand, tightly wrapped around his hot shaft. Skylar in turn, licked her lips at the sight of his swollen tip, angry red and dripping in need for her as she gave him an experimental pump of her palm.

"Fuck doll." Steve's hands were planted against the wall behind her, caging her between him, keeping him standing as he cursed deeply into her neck, biting down into the skin there.

"Language baby." She muttered, though it turned her on completely as one of his hands dropped from their place on the wall to grab a handful of her backside. Biting down into her lip to stop herself from crying out, she tightened her fist around his shaft, tugging on it gently, feeling him stiffen further in her palm.

"I-I can't…..I'm gonna…..doll." Steve warned her, panting heavily as she pinned her knees together, feeling that every familiar drip of her juices slip down the inside of her thighs.

Knowing he was close to losing it, she pulled her hand from his shaft, licking his seed from her palm before turning to offer her backside to him.

"Hurry….I need you inside me….please…" She begged desperately as Steve kicked his soaked jeans off, the sound of heavy clothing slapping onto the tile floor before she felt his hands grip her already bruised hips.

Steve hated the feeling of just fucking her like an animal, he wanted to experience her like he had done the first time. He didn't want her to feel as if he was only looking for sex through her, so he shook his head, clearing some of the lust filled temptations that were continuing to shout at him to fuck her into next week, and loosened his hold on her.

"Doll, you're alright with this? I don't want you feeling like your some toy to me." Steve's raspy voice broke the heavenly fog filling the cubicle as she glanced over her shoulder at him, her mind in a daze.

"You're not, you know that right? You know I love you." Steve's eyes took on a caring streak as her heart thumped loudly in her chest and ears before she chuckled at his adorableness to reassure her of something in the middle of lust driven sex.

"I know baby, but if you would be so kind to fuck me before I lose my mind, I'd really app—" Skylar didn't have a second to finish her sentence as his engorged shaft completely buried itself to the hilt inside her. She cried out loudly, almost completely sure that Buck and Sam could hear them through the walls, but she didn't care, neither did Steve as he moaned deeply.

"Ugh, I forgot how good you felt." Steve moaned against her back as he stay still, allowing for her to adjust to him.

"Steve….please…." Skylar suddenly begged as her hands fought to grab onto anything on the wall, resulting in her unconsciously reaching out for the handle for the shower door, gripping it tightly in her hand as she did.

Steve instantly began to trust in and out of her, a groan emitting from his throat with every thrust of his hips while he hung his head back, allowing the pleasure to creep up his spine. He loved the way she felt around him. Tightening and grasping him like he was her lifeline, her core milking him for whatever he was willing to give her, which was everything at this point. Steve shut his eyes, feeling her contract around him once more as he fought off his impending orgasm that was running at him, full speed. No, he wanted her to come alongside with him.

Skylar bit her arm, muffling the sounds of pleasure that had no filter at this point. He felt so good, so good caressing her tight walls, pushing her closer and closer to the edge of her orgasm that was already patiently waiting for her to let go on her own.

"Please….doll, tell me you're close." Steve leaned over her back, sucking a bruise into her neck before begging her to come, not knowing how much longer he would be able to hold out as his hips continued to abuse her backside.

"St-oh god….I'm—" Skylar began to plead, her hands waving frantically around as she fought to keep standing.

Without any warning, that familiar feeling that had begun to bubble up in her stomach, snapped, sending her screaming as her orgasm washed over her, sending her core tightening, almost painfully around Steve who hadn't been expecting. Steve let out a shout of pleasure soon after, unable to hold it back any longer as he came deep inside her, his seed filling her to the brim, overflowing from her tight hole and down her legs.

Skylar fought continuing standing on two legs as her orgasm passed, Steve's arms naturally wrapping around her small waist to pull her up and safely against his chest.

She chuckled as she leaned against his chest, realizing he was still half dressed and now completely soaked to the bone. Tilting her head back to look up at him, he shared the same satisfied smile she was sporting. Their eyes met briefly before Steve leaned down, pressing a tired kiss to her lips.

 **-END OF SMUT-**

* * *

"You didn't blow anything up this time." Steve whispered teasingly against her lips causing her to snort, though she had been silently hoping the entire time that she wouldn't have.

"Mood killer." She muttered with playful eyes as she slipped out of his arms, washing off quickly before pushing him under the water to clean off also.

Minutes past as Skylar dried off as best as she could, dressing into a change of clothes before allowing Steve to change the now soaked bandage around her head.

"We're not supposed to get it wet." Steve scolded lightly as he checked her bandage.

"Yeah well, things happen. I'm not gonna die." Skylar shrugged, knowing it was just his 'mother hen' side coming out. Her comment earned her a disapproving look from Steve as he cleaned the still tender wound before placing a single bandage on it.

"Well, its clean and healing like it should, so you should be fine without the head bandage." Steve stood from his kneeling position in front of her, tossing her soiled and wet bandages away before washing his hands.

She instantly ran her fingers through her hair, combing through any knots before standing to collect her dirty clothes from the floor.

 _Knock knock_

Skylar's eyes turned to the shut bathroom door and then to Steve who perked a brow in her direction, unsure what to expect on the other side of it.

"Yeah?" Skylar called out hesitantly as Steve made a quiet shuffle closer to the door, listening for anything on the other side.

"The next time you two decide to reacquaint yourselves, how about shutting the room door or even better, get us a room 2 floors up!"

* * *

 **So there it is. I'm still not the best at SMUT and honestly, I feel like I rushed this one just a bit but oh wells lol Hope you all still enjoyed it. Next chapter, we'll be starting the infamous airport battle.**

 **See you~**


	12. Chapter 12

**Holy hell, this is beyond late. I am sooooooooooo sorry. I didn't realize how busy my schedule was last week till it was staring me in the face ;_; Finally got some time to myself, thank goodness Easter has passed, and whipped up a quick chapter. Since I didn't update last week, I plan on updating twice this week, hope that is alright with you all.**

 **Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters, unfortunately.**

* * *

The drive to their rendezvous point with Clint was longer than anyone had anticipated, beyond the 20 minutes she had been expecting. Didn't help that Sam could not let them live down their 'activities' from the night before. Skylar swore she blushed 100 shades of red and blue in the time it took the 4 to load back into the small vehicle, Bucky's eyes boring into her the entire time.

 _"Honestly, was it that hard to shut the door?"_

 _"Sounded like feeding time at the zoo."_

 _"Skylar sounded like she was being stabbed half the time. Was starting to worry."_

 _"You should have seen Barnes. He looked so mortified, it was quite amusing."_

 _"When's the last time you've heard 2 people going at it ice man?"_

 _"Well, I don't know if I should be proud that my brother is getting some or mortified that I'm not?"_

 _"Cap's 100 and he's rolling around with the prettiest girl I've ever seen, I'm a little jealous."_

 _"Do you have the stamina of a 100 year old? How is he Sky? Still getting it up?"_

Only 5 minutes into the ride and Steve looked like it head was about to explode with how red his face was getting while Skylar was silently contemplating tossing herself out the window at the next semi-truck that drove by. Anything to get away from Sam before she beat him into silence. Worst of all, she couldn't even meet Bucky's eyes, the poor guy looked like he was growing sicker and sicker as the moments past.

About halfway through their drive, Bucky had fallen asleep at Skylar's insistent. She had easily noticed the dark bags hanging from under his eyes and the paleness in his face as he continued to stare at her like she wasn't real. She pushed him to sleep which he immediately brushed off with 'I'm okay' lie before Steve thankfully stepped in, mentioning that he needed to be at top condition if he wanted to protect Skylar from whatever was waiting for them in Siberia. That seemed to do the trick as it didn't take a second before soft snores rolled off the Winter Soldier himself.

Sam was close behind as he no longer had to worry about Bucky for the time being seeing as he was asleep. He curled against the passenger window and instantly passed out, snorting a bit louder than Bucky.

Now, 30 minutes into their drive, only Skylar and Steve were conscious.

"You should sleep Doll. We got about another 15 minutes or so." Steve made brief eye contact with her through the rearview mirror before turning his attention back to the road.

"I'm fine." She waved her hand nonchalantly as she continued to watch the scenery past them outside the window.

Steve watched her closely as they continued to drive in silence. Something was bugging him, irritatingly. No matter how hard he tried to push the thoughts away, they continued to crawl up his spine, silently nagging him to address the situation. He silently cursed at himself before tightening his hold on the steering wheel, pushing himself that extra mile to ask.

"Sky." He called softly, not wanting to wake the others, especially seeing as this particular question involved a certain someone in the car.

Skylar hummed, never turning her eyes from the trees just outside the window.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked hesitantly, his eyes flashing back and forth from the road to the rearview mirror, wanting to make sure at the smallest flinch of hurt on her face that he would back off like he knew he needed to.

"What?" She finally turned to look at him, only confusion in sight.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, I just want to hear it come from you." Steve cleared his throat nervously, bile beginning to roll up his throat at the thought of what sort of answer she was going to give him.

"What is it?" She furrowed her brows, now worried about what he could possible want to ask her now.

"The Breeding project—did you-I mean-you don't have to tell me-Buck-I mean…." Cue Steve stumbling over everything he was trying to get out as nerves got the best of himself.

Somehow, she knew, within time, curiosity or just interest would get the best of him and pressure him to ask a question that she knew was coming.

Quickly glancing away to the window, she licked her dry lips and sighed, shutting her eyes momentarily which only fed Steve's fear at what had happened between his fiancé and best friend.

"No. I don't know. Maybe. Ugh, I can't remember. I didn't even remember the project till Ross mentioned it back there. They wiped me clean of any information on that." She explained exasperated, startling Bucky from his seat as he sat up quickly, his eyes whipping around for immediate danger.

"No, it's alright Buck. We're okay, you're okay." Skylar immediately reached over, ignoring Steve's eyes as they bore into her from the rearview mirror while she caught Bucky's attention, calming him down as best as she could.

"What the heck is going on?" Sam groaned half asleep from the front seat as she felt Buck's hands on her tighten, making sure she was still there and safe causing her to smile softly at him.

"Nothing, are we there yet?" Skylar avoided the question, gazing out to the road to see them turn into a parking structure attached to the airport. Her eyes met Steve's concerned ones shortly before turning back to the road.

"We're here." He turned the car, allowing it to screech around each turn as they climbed the parking structure, higher and higher till they pulled a few stalls down from an unmarked white van.

"We'll finish this conversation later." Steve mentioned under his breath as he pushed the door open and climbed out leaving her huffing in the back seat.

"What conversation?" Bucky asked worried as Sam climbed out quickly to join Steve.

Skylar stared at Steve's back for a moment before turning to Buck with a sigh.

"He was asking me about the Breeding Project, wanted to know if we—you know—went through with it." She explained embarrassed as she put a hand through her hair in frustration, immediately wincing when her hand made contact with her bandage. Bucky instantly leaned forward, his hands hovering over her form, wanting to help but unsure what to do before she dropped her hand, sighing as she glanced down at them in her lap.

"What am I going to do Buck? I feel like—like he doesn't trust me anymore. Like everything we worked so hard to build together is crumbling under us all because I couldn't remember any of this." She whispered, already on the verge of tears at the mere thought of losing someone that meant the world to her.

Bucky silently watched her, unsure how to react or comfort her through something even he didn't know. He shut his eyes, taking in a deep breath as he allowed his mind to wallow through what memories he could remember, which wasn't much at this point. His eyes shot open suddenly when he heard a sniffle come from the woman next to her and stared at her in concern as she quickly wiped at her cheeks, making sure that she was presentable as she pushed Steve's seat forward.

"I'm sure I'm just overreacting, it'll all blow over soon enough." She muttered, unconvincingly as she pushed the door open next.

"Come on out Buck." She smiled kindly back at him, though the look of absolute sadness never left her eyes before she turned, slipping from the car and into view.

* * *

"Thanks for having my back." Steve's voice caught her attention as she stood from the car, her eyes meeting those of two particular figures she had been missing since they were put on the run.

"It was time to get off my ass." Wanda shrugged proudly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Wanda." Skylar gasped in shock and relief, brushing past Steve to throw her arms around the woman that had grown like a little sister to her. Wanda chuckled against Skylar's shoulder, hugging with twice the enthusiasm.

"Nice to see you too Sky." Clint sarcastically added from somewhere nearby as she pulled away from Wanda momentarily to meet the smirking eyes of Clint who stood just a few feet to the left.

Skylar didn't waste another moment and pulled away from Wanda completely, throwing herself at Clint who barely caught the flying woman in his arms, stumbling back. Clint chuckled amused, his arms naturally wrapping around her form, pulling her closer as he buried his face in her hair.

"I'm glad you're okay kid." Clint teased as she snorted through happy tears, pulling away before punching him, with no remorse in the chest, causing him to let out a deep ' _oof_ ', his hand immediately reaching up to rub the spot he had been attacked.

"How's our new recruit?" Steve broke the happy ambiance, Skylar stepping aside as Clint gestured over his shoulder towards the unmarked van, his eyes taking in her form briefly, noting the wound on her head along with the look of despair in her eyes.

"He's ready to go. I had to put a little coffee in him, but…..he should be good." Clint pushed her demeanor into the back of his mind for a later time before pulling open the sliding door with little to no patience, sending it slamming open loudly, startling the man inside.

Skylar, having not expected another person to join their team, she peered around Clint in confusion, her eyes taking in the man who was slowly sitting up from his sleep, rubbing his eyes exhaustedly as he climbed out with the help of Clint.

"What timezone is this?" The unknown man asked as Skylar turned her confused eyes to her super soldiers and friend, noticing the way Steve and Sam were looking at the man with said familiarity. They knew him, how?

"Come on. Come on." Clint gave a gentle shove to the man, pushing him towards Steve who took a step forward to address the man that was now gazing up at him like a 5 year old fan.

"Captain America." The man breathed, a smile slowly beginning to grow as he shook Steve's hand enthusiastically, enough to shake Steve.

"Mr. Lang." Steve addressed, slightly embarrassed at the man's slight fan moment.

"It's an honor. I'm shaking your hand too long. Wow. This is awesome." The man known as Mr. Lang pulled his hand from Steve's once he realized what he was doing and turned to Wanda, gesturing to Steve once more.

"Captain America." He laughed before realizing who he was talking to and pointed at her.

"I know you too, you're great." Skylar chuckled at the man's words, gathering his attention as he turned to her, his eyes setting in realization.

"Skylar Stark, wow!" The man turned to her, approaching her as a form was suddenly up beside her, his behemoth form blocking half of her form from Mr. Lang's view, startling the much smaller man who hadn't seen the assassin sneak up.

"Uhhh…." Mr. Lang commented nervously as Skylar patted Bucky's shoulder, silently telling him that he was alright and stepped around the hesitant man, holding her hand out for Mr. Lang to take.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Lang. I apologize for that, it's been a pretty tense few days." She excused with a soft smile, allowing the man to engulf her hand, giving it a gentle shake as his eyes never left the man still standing guard at her side.

Shaking his nerves, he smiled back at her, nodding before turning back to Steve who had been intently watching the exchange with tense joints.

"Jeez." Skylar broke out laughing into her hands, unable to stop herself as she watched the newcomer basically feel Steve's arms up in amazement before stepping back into his own space. Even Steve couldn't stop his smile from emerging as he glanced briefly over at Sam then to Bucky and Skylar.

"Look, I wanted to say, I know you know a lot of super people, so…..thinks for thanking of me." Scott rambled on causing both Wanda and Skylar to snicker as the man jumbled up his words due to nervousness.

"Hey man." He addressed Sam hesitantly who smirked, nodding his head towards the man.

"What's up tic-tac?" Sam's teasing form came into view as Scott chuckled nervously.

"Good to see you. Look. What happened last time was a….." Scott began to apologize as Skylar's eyes whipped over in interest. Honestly, how had missed their first interaction?

"It was a great audition, but it'll….it'll never happen again." Sam snickered proudly, his arms crossing over his chest.

"Alright, now I need to know what happened between those two." Skylar commented under her breath as Clint snorted from beside her.

"Did he tell you what we're up against here?" Steve broke the conversation, wanting to address the elephant in the room before all hell broke loose.

"Something about some….psycho assassins." Scott answered unsure, not completely understanding the whole thing.

"We're outside the law on this one." Steve added, wanting to be sure that Scott understood the seriousness of joining their side.

"So, if you come with us, you're a wanted man." Skylar finished, having address the situation for the first time since climbing out of the car. Skylar watched as all eyes were on her before Scott smiled softly and nodded, understanding what he was signing up for.

"Yeah, well, what else is new?" He shrugged uncaring as she smiled kindly at him, meeting Steve's eyes briefly as he spoke his next words.

"We should get moving." It was almost as if he was directly addressing her before a voice began to speak over the loud speaker of the airport parking structure, startling everyone.

"They're evacuating the airport." Bucky translated, naturally stepping just a bit closer to Skylar's side, his eyes whipping around.

"Stark." Steve's eyes hardened as Scott blinked in surprise and confusion.

"Stark?" He asked confused as she sighed, stepping up beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Family feud." She joked, brushing past the men to the trunk of their car, already in the midst of pulling their equipment and suits from their hiding place.

"Suit up." Steve commanded everyone seriously as those present quickly separated to their various vehicles, dressing as best as they could.

* * *

"So, what's the plan?" Wanda asked as the team was now fully dressed and loaded, the 7 of them huddling around the map of the airport now laid out across the hood of the bug.

"I have a chopper lined up, just here." Clint pointed to a point of the map, not far from where the airport led onto the tarmac.

"That's close." Sam nodded in approval before Skylar stepped in.

"Unfortunately, my cousin isn't 'that' stupid. He'll know that's the first place we'll be hitting." Skylar pressed as Steve nodded in agreement, never looking up from the map as his eyes whipped around the map.

"He'll be waiting for us if we go out there." Clint agreed with the woman who only sighed and nodded in annoyance.

"So what do we do?" Scott spoke up, worried about what he was getting himself in as he adjusted his suit.

"We split up." Skylar suggested, her eyes seeking Steve's, which were already directed on her.

"Split up?" Sam asked unsure, his hesitation bright in his eyes as he met Clint's eyes.

"Tony will be waiting for us and I'm sure he's not alone, like we aren't." She gestured to the team they had assembled.

"She's right, plus, we could have someone distract them, long enough for us to find another way out." Clint explained as he pointed to various other hangers around the airport strip.

"I'm sure they'll split up too." Wanda agreed with a nod sending Steve sighing as he glanced around at his team.

"Alright, this is what we're going to do…"

* * *

 **Like it? Hate it? Let me know.**

 **See you soon!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Like I promised, I update once more this week. Kind of bummed that I didn't get any reviews or comments for the last chapter I posted, wondering if anyone is even reading my updates anymore lol**

 **Hopefully I still have readers ;_;**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

Bucky, Sam and Skylar ran through the empty airport, taking the stairs 3 at a time before they found somewhere that they could watch over the area Steve had planned to emerge from.

"You sure it was a good idea to leave him alone?" Sam whispered over to Skylar who crouched down onto the floor, her eyes whipping around for anything out of normal.

"Not like I could have complained, that man is as stubborn as a bull. Plus he's a big boy. I'm more worried about who'll try to show up to take him." She muttered under her breath irritated as Bucky slipped up beside her.

"Shhhh." Bucky shushed the two just as Steve came running out from a hallway beneath them, screeching to a halt just feet from the helicopter that Clint had set up for them. Something shot out from the roof, electrocuting the helicopter before both Tony and Rhodey shot down from their hiding spots, landing just feet in front of Steve. Skylar had been momentarily tempted to tap into the now shut down helicopter to kick it back into gear, but honestly, who was she kidding? Tony and Rhodey wouldn't let them leave even if she did. Why waste the energy?

* * *

"Wow, it's so weird how you run into people at the airport. - Don't you just feel weird?" Tony's face mask lifted as Skylar got a good look at him, having not seen him since their run in before her confinement.

"Definitely weird." Rhodey agreed from beside Tony as Skylar rolled her eyes.

* * *

"That man is infuriating. I'd like to crush him like a coke can and toss him into the recycle bin." She hissed under her breath, her annoyance for the silver lined man never leaving.

"I'd pay to see that." Sam teased from beside her with a soft laugh as she snorted, side eying him briefly.

"Hear me out, Tony. That doctor, the psychiatrist, he's behind all of this." Steve immediately went into the plan, distracting the two men before T'Challa prowled out of the shadows, landing somewhere behind Steve.

Skylar felt Bucky stiffen ever so slightly at the sight of the familiar black figure causing her to reach out and rub his arm in comfort before a tap from Sam got her attention.

"It's time." He whispered as she sighed and nodded, pulling her hand back from Bucky, her eyes flashing violet as she allowed her abilities to freely float through her system as she tapped into what electronics the building still held. It was hilarious how easy it was for her to use her abilities at will now. Never in a million years did she think she could be capable or even willing to use something like her abilities to help fight for what she believed. Yet, here she was, doing exactly that.

Ignoring the conversation going on down below, she allowed her vision to travel through the property, peeking into each and every hanger before she landed one that had something she recognized, the quinjet.

"Bingo." She muttered proudly as she blinked the violet from her eyes, glancing down immediately to see someone she didn't recognize now joining the fray dressed as a spider.

"What the hell is that now?" She hissed in shock, squinting her eyes at the younger fella, well she assumed it was a man anyways.

* * *

"Alright, I'm done! You're gonna turn Barnes over and you and Sky are gonna come with us. NOW! Because it's us! We're JSOC, guys, with no compunction about being impolite. Come on, man." She heard Tony's voice ring through the com in her ear, her heart thumping at the desperation on her cousin's face. She was still pissed at him, actually pissed doesn't begin to explain the feelings of betrayal still running through her, but he was still family and in some twisted way, he believed he was doing the right thing.

* * *

"You found it?" Sam whispered over, pulling her from her guilt as she blinked, glancing briefly at her friend, nodding. Shaking the feelings from her, she reached a hand up to her com, pressing on it to connect to Steve.

"We found it Cap." Sam beat her to the intro as she watched Steve glance to the right inconspicuously.

"The quinjet's in hanger five, north runway." She added as Sam nodded, pulling her to stand as Bucky stood quickly after. Steve gave a subtle nod to her words before she watched as Scott appeared out of thin air on Steve's shield, kicking the man dressed as a bug in the chin, flipping over and away from the man to hand Steve back his shield.

"Okay, I take back anything bad I may have thought of that guy. That was fucking cool." She commented offhandedly as she pulled a gun off her thigh holster, cocking it to get ready.

* * *

"Alright, there's two on the parking deck. One of them is Maximoff, I'm going to grab her. Rhodey, you want to take Cap?" Tony floated off the ground, glancing at the silver tin man who nodded at him.

"Got three in the terminal Stark. Wilson, Barnes and Sky." Rhodey announced as Tony hesitated briefly mid-flight, his mask turning to glance in the direction of where his cousin was located. He hadn't expected to see said woman watching him from one of the glass windows while Wilson and Barnes ran ahead of her. Tony watched her momentarily, his eyes taking in everything about her, all the way up to her bandaged head.

He had lost his only living family, all because of these accords. Were they really that important to him?

"Barnes is mine!" T'Challa's voice spat through the coms as Tony shook the feeling of guilt from the forefront of his mind, peering at Skylar once more, mentally noting that he would have to come back for his cousin before leaving. He needed her.

* * *

Watching her cousin fly away in the direction she knew both Wanda and Clint were in, she turned to run after Bucky and Sam.

"Tony's coming your way Birdboy." She announced into the coms before she heard the shatter of glass up ahead.

"Got it. Watch your back." Clint pressed back as she took off running at high speed, her eyes already flashing violet when she got to the scene of the bug man shooting a web of sorts, out of his wrist into the ceiling before swinging down to kick Sam. Bucky was there in time to block Sam, though the force of the kids kick sent the two breaking through the glass railing and down a floor.

"Bucky! Sam!" She screamed, high tailing it towards the scene as the red and blue suited man spun to face her from the top of a post, the eyes on his suit widening.

"Skylar Stark." The boy announced in surprise and nerves as she slid to a stop in front of the opening that led down to her friends, glaring up at him through her violet eyes.

"I don't know who you are but you are way out of your league here, kid." She hissed defensively, her arm snapping out as he made to throw what she now assumed to be spider webs, at her, grabbing hold of his form as he shouted in surprise before she tossed him, anything but gently through the windows and out into the free air.

At this point, she could care less what happened to the kid.

Spinning on her heels, she charged down the shut off escalator, sliding up beside Bucky and Sam, her eyes taking in their forms for any visible wounds before she sighed out in relief.

"Who the hell was the kid?" She spat out irritated, her eyes panning the area every so often in case he came back while she began to slowly saw through the webs holding both men down. Bucky grumbled under his breath as he was finally freed, quickly sitting up and rolling his metal shoulder, allowing the metal plates to adjust back to normal before pushing himself to stand.

"Another one of your cousin's friends. I mean, does he have any normal friends?" Sam muttered back equally irritated as Skylar held a hand down to him, the dark skinned man quickly taking the offered hand as she helped him to stand.

"He wouldn't be the infamous Tony Stark without weird friends." She commented under her breath as she ran back up the escalator, skidding to a halt just beside the window that showed the tarmac.

Skylar's eyes easily narrowed around the properly, singling on each and every member of her current team and enemy team before turning as Bucky and Sam flanked her.

"We need to get out there." She pressed seriously as Bucky met her eyes briefly before giving a single nod as they took off running towards the nearest exit and into the blazing heat.

Skylar made sure to keep her mind open to everything around them, knowing that the other team wasn't at all pleased to have them all appear before she recognized a blonde hair in the distance with a red head close beside him.

"Wanda! Clint!" She called out, kicking her legs further into drive as she ran to catch up with Wanda who was already holding a hand out for her. Skylar instantly took the woman's offered hand, relief flooding her system at the simple physical touch before turning to see Steve running out from behind some carts, his eyes meeting hers with a soft smile.

"There's our ride!" Clint shouted as he pointed over at the very hanger she had found the quinjet in and nodded before Steve gestured for everyone to follow him as he went running around the corner.

"Come on!"

Leaving Wanda's side, Skylar felt something in her change as she ran to catch up with Steve, feeling a bit more grounded being next to her fiancé. Steve met her eyes shortly, his eyes taking in her form in her leather suit before her eyes shot open and ahead, being the only one to catch what was coming as she grabbed Steve's arm, using all her strength to stop the super soldier from going any further just as a beam of light shot down from the sky, cutting into the tarmac feet from their own feet.

Keeping her grip on Steve's bicep, she glared openly at the AI floating above them, her other arm held out, feeling Bucky pressed up against the backside of her elbow. Allowing her eyes to melt into violet, she almost begged the AI to do anything further to her family, no matter if he was a friend, she didn't appreciate the fact that the AI had no interest in their own personal safety. This was a war.

"Captain Rogers. I know you believe what you're doing is right. But, for the collective good you must surrender now." Vision spoke in that same 'all-knowing' tone she recognized and glanced over at Steve to see his eyes set in determination.

Skylar scanned the group of friends that had gathered against her own, glaring at each and every one of them. Sure, there were a few she much rather not fight with, Natasha being one of them, if she could avoid fighting the woman, she would be immensely grateful. T'Challa, eh, he was fighting for the wrong reason but she didn't completely blame him. Death of a parent would do that to you. Then there was Vision, she turned to side eye Wanda who was already staring up at the AI with an unreadable expression though the silver haired woman could easily tell what it meant. She knew Wanda cared heavily for the AI, the AI easily returning the feelings though he did not understand the feeling completely. Tony. She had to fight back an eye roll at the sight of her cousin standing as if he was the king of the world, ready to rain down some punishment on those he believed to be wrong. If Uncle Howard could see him now, she could already see him shaking his head at his son. That left the 2 last people. One she didn't recognize or know and the other someone she knew all too well yet cared less than anything about.

"What do we do, Cap?" Sam asked from the other side of her super soldier as she slowly released the hold she had on him, feeling his hand find her own soon after, his gloves caressing the inside of her own finger-less gloves causing her to smirk as she met his blues.

"We fight." She offered in determination sending her super soldier nodding in agreement before the couple began to march towards the gathering group dozens of feet from them.

This fight had been building like short fuse on a bomb. No matter the outcome, this needed to happen and her cousin needed to be put in his place. And who better to do it than her? She knew, Tony assumed he was right in his choices, he continued to feed the rest of his team with his assumptions, but Skylar knew, more than any, how dangerous these accords were to the team. She knew what they truly meant for them and the power the government would hold in their hands had she not spoken out against it. They would have control over not only her friends and family, but her. HYDRA controlled her for only months and that was torture, she couldn't imagine the pain and anguish she would have to go through, doing what the government instructed of her. Hell no. She knew how corrupt the government was. She was better off on her own, fighting for her own. There was no telling what would happen to the world with her abilities in the government's hands. She wasn't an object, she was her own person and that's how she was going to keep it.

That's when all hell broke loose.

From stomping with determination towards each other, both sides broke out into a full out sprint. Sam and Wanda were quick to get into the air, just as Tony, Rhodey and Vision were. Skylar was just happy that they had discussed ahead of time one who was to deal with who because her eyes were naturally everywhere, wanting to make sure everyone was alright.

* * *

 **Flashback:**

"Barton, I want you to take Romanoff. You know her best and can take her." Steve commanded as Skylar watched Clint hesitantly nod.

"Sam, you'll take Rhodes. Wanda, Vision. Between you and Sky, you two are the only ones capable of taking Vi. Chances are, Vi will stay out of the fight until he is absolutely needed or Stark says so, so keep close, help anyone that needs it." Steve met Wanda's eyes, though she quickly blinked to cast out the look of sadness before anyone could see it, both saw it easily.

"Buck." Steve addressed next as the man flinched at the name before casting his eyes up.

"T'Challa will come for you out of anyone. You think you can take him?" Steve asked unsure as the assassin took in a deep breath and nodded before Steve casted his eyes towards the silent woman standing beside him.

"Doll, I need you to stay with Buck, help from the sidelines. If at all possible, stay out of the fight." Skylar opened her mouth to complain about his Mother Hen ways but didn't have the opportunity as Steve turned his attention to their newcomer.

"Lang, we don't know who else or what else Stark has in store. If by some chance we have any newcomers on that side, I need you to fit in where we need it. We may be outnumbered but still, we fight. Our mission to get that quinjet, wherever it might be."

 **End of Flashback:**

* * *

"Sky, get the new guy." Steve's voice broke through the sound of her heavy breathing as her wide eyes shot over to her fiance, running beside her.

"We never accounted for him. Deal with him and watch over Buck. More than anything, watch your back." Steve turned his eyes to meet hers second before the two groups clashed.

She hesitated only briefly as she watched both groups clash, exactly how Steve had imagined it, T'Challa went straight for Bucky, Vision stayed off to the side, Nat went for Clint with Lang quickly jumping in when needed and Sam was going at it with Rhodey. Taking one last look at Steve fighting against her cousin, she sighed and took off running to the side, watching closely as Vision eyed her warily while she snuck behind the red and blue suited man, attempting to catch him off guard.

Skylar was thrown surprised as the man spun, kicking out his leg, making immediately contact with her stomach as she hadn't expected him to react so quickly. She spun, landing on the ground with a harsh grunt. She bit her lip, shutting her eyes briefly before tossing her hair over her shoulder to glare up at the suited man now staring down at her, his posture showing that he was unsure as to what to do now.

"Bad choice kid." She hissed, her eyes flashing violet as a drip of blood trickled down her chin.

Using the back of her hand to wipe at her chin, she pushed herself to stand with a grunt, her eyes taking a quick account for everyone around before she turned in time to hear the kid squeak in nervousness, his webs shooting from both wrists, pulling himself into the air in attempt to make a run for it. Not with her standing there, there was no way she was going to let him go.

Skylar smirked, tossing her hand out, a violet aura circling the spider who yelled in surprise once more as she yanked her hand, effortlessly tossing him into one of the airport ramps, watching as the ramp completely folded in on itself at the force of his body.

Sure she felt bad for the kid, but hey, this was a war. If he didn't know what he was getting into when he followed her cousin here, that was his own fault.

Staring at the spot the kids body disappeared into for a moment longer, coming to terms that she might have knocked him unconscious and shrugged, turning in time to hear a familiar shout. Her head whipped around quickly, eyes widening as she watched a knowing black figure dive at Bucky, both figures fighting each other before they were at a standstill.

Forgetting about the spiderkid, she took off running towards Bucky, a force field immediately shooting up to the right of her as she saw a few unlethal bolts flying at her, probably attempting to shock her unconscious. She glared over at the man responsible as the bolts bounced off her shield harmlessly, reminding herself to get Rhodey back for that small jab just as Sam knocked him off balance before shooting off.

"Thanks Sam." She mentioned into her com before spinning to head back in the direction where Bucky and T'Challa were now holding each other's necks.

* * *

"I didn't kill your father." Bucky pressed to the black clad man who didn't believe him for a minute.

"Then why did you run?" T'Challa chastised as they broke out fighting again, Bucky's body being flown a few feet away, his back coming into contact with a stack of crates.

"Take this!" T'Challa charged at Bucky, his claws going for the jugular as Bucky stiffened at the approach.

Thankfully, Skylar got there just in time, her violet aura creating a force field in front of Bucky. Both men blinked in confusion at the wall before T'Challa slowly turned his head, meeting Skylar's violet eyes.

"He is telling the truth." Skylar hissed defensively, taking a few threatening steps towards the dark skinned king who only retracted his claws but never moving from his attack posture.

"And you expect me to trust you?" He mocked back as she snorted, allowing the force field to stretch to her as she continued to make her way to Bucky's side, bending down to help him from the ground, his arm immediately latching around her shoulder.

"I don't expect you to do anything but think on how your father would react to what you are doing? You believe Bucky killed him yet the only proof you have is a clearly photo shopped photo that an elementary school child could have put together." Skylar wrapped her arm around Bucky's waist, holding him up as she kept her eyes at the man standing just beyond her shield.

"You are nothing but a lowly HYDRA assassin, just like him. Anything you say or do, doesn't justify anything." T'Challa hissed, sending a stabbing pain through Skylar's heart as she took his words in, knowing them to be true. Though it hurt and though she could feel Bucky stiffen and growl from beside her, she didn't let it show.

"Believe whatever you want, but know that your father is so disappointed in what you are doing." She glared hard at him, watching as his body stiffened before he roared, diving at the two.

Skylar narrowed her eyes further, a pulse rocking off of her form and directly at T'Challa sending him flying quickly through the air and into the airport. She didn't want to hurt that man but if he was going to continue on his path of ignorance, she felt that his father was silently telling her to kick his ass and knock some sense into him.

"Thanks Sky." Bucky voice rumbled from beside her as she allowed her eyes to change back to hazel, meeting his steal blues orbs.

"You don't have to thank me. I owe you a lot more than that."

* * *

 **Hope you guys liked it. Let me know.**

 **See you next week~**


	14. Chapter 14

**Honestly, whipped this chapter up as I was running out the door to work this morning. Had enough sense to save it in my email and then post it when I got in this morning. It might not be the best update, who am I kidding, it's probably crap lol but I do still hope that you all enjoy it.**

 **As you can tell, I'm having a terrible week, that just seems to get longer and longer.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or it's characters**

* * *

Skylar assisted Bucky through various hiding spots, helping where she could before they both slid up beside Steve who had been taking a breather behind some boxes.

"Doll!" Steve shouted in relief, reaching over and pulling her from Bucky's arms and into his, burying his face into her hair.

"Steve, I'm fine, let go." She whined, pushing him off of her as she adjusted her suit before kneeling out of sight. Steve took a quick once over of Skylar, noticing she was favoring her right torso along with a line of dried blood that had obviously come from her mouth. He opened his mouth to insist on answers and also to scold her into next week, but Bucky had cut him off.

"We got to go. - That guy's probably in Siberia by now." Bucky announced as the trio glanced out of their hiding spot to see the rest of them still in the midst of fighting.

"I'm gonna draw all the fliers. I'll take Vision. You get to the jet." Steve whipped up a plan only causing Skylar to snort as he spoke.

"You take Vision? Do you hear yourself? It makes more sense for me to do that." Skylar scolded through a whisper, ignoring the glare sent her way by her super soldier.

"Do you hear yourself? You think I would really let you go out there as a distraction?" Steve spat back in defense as Skylar sighed, turning to rest her back against the crate.

"No, you 3 get to the jet! All of you! The rest of us aren't getting out of here." Sam's voice interrupted the three as Skylar peeked around to see Sam dodging in and out of crannies, attempting to get Tony and Rhodey off his tail.

"As much as I hate to admit it, if we're gonna win this one, some of us might have to lose it." Clint added in his own comment.

"This isn't the real fight Steve."

Skylar sat back again, sighing out as she rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hands.

"No one can take Vision but me and Wanda." Skylar explained, meeting Steve's hesitant eyes before it seemed to register what she was insisting on.

"I can't leave you here doll. I can't." He desperately reached out for her, his eyes showing the hurt that such a thing was putting him through already.

"Right now, you don't have a choice. Vision isn't just gonna let the 3 of us leave. One of us needs to stop him and I'm sorry, but out of the 3 of us, I'm the only capable of doing that." She lifted a hand to rest on his cheek, caressing the offered skin there as his eyes bore into her own.

"We can think up another plan, figure something out…." Steve was desperate for Sky to see how much this was hurting him but she wasn't having any of it as she chuckled dryly and shook her head.

"No, Buck's right. We don't have the time. That doctor could already be in Siberia, waking the others as we speak. You two need to get there and quick." She pulled her hand from his cheek, turning to look at Bucky who looked conflicted on what to say or do. The look alone made her giggle as she patted his cheek gently, getting his attention.

"You'll be fine. I'll be fine. Steve's gonna need ya to back him up so go, and do me a favor, make sure he doesn't get into any trouble okay? I still need my fiancé in one piece." Sure, she sounded completely calm, joking about everything like it was normal but deep inside she was terrified. She didn't want to be left behind, left behind to be caught and locked away like some animal. But, they needed to get to Siberia, and if the only way to go was to stay back as a distraction, then so be it. The life of those around her and the billions of earth's occupants were more important than her own fear.

Bucky's brows furrowed, unsure how to react as she smiled softly at him, wrapping her arms briefly around his shoulders to hug him.

"Watch over each other and make me proud." She whispered into his ear, kissing his cheek briefly which threw him off before she pulled away, turning to hug her fiance that was all too eager to return the hug.

Steve pulled her tightly against his form, breathing heavily as he shut his eyes, his mind and heart at a war with themselves. He didn't want to leave her but she was right. She was the only one capable of stopping the one thing stopping them from the quinjet and as she had pointed out, time was of the essence.

"I will be back for you. I promise." Steve whispered desperately, burying his face into her neck, taking in her intoxicating scent.

"I know you will. Take care of yourself, I'll be waiting." She bit her lip, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall any second.

"I love you. So much doll." Steve fought to keep his voice steady as his arms tightened around her smaller frame.

"Love you too, you dork." Skylar attempted to lighten the mood, though no one laughed as she pulled away with glassy eyes. Steve met her glassy eyes with his own, his eyes flashing up and down her form to copy it to memory before he pulled her in for a deep kiss, ignoring the fact that his best friend was sitting 2 feet away.

"I'll be back for you." Steve insisted once more, sounding as if he was attempting to convince himself more than anything as he rested his forehead against her own.

"I know. Go." She pushed forcefully, her hand unconsciously gripping his utility belt.

Clearing his throat, Steve stepped back from Skylar, only far enough to add some space between the two before he addressed Sam.

"Alright, Sam, what's the plan?" Steve asked hesitantly, his eyes meeting Bucky's shortly.

"Skylar will do what she can to hold off Vision, but in the meantime, we need a diversion, something big." Sam offered as Skylar knelt, peeking over the top of the box for anything of use.

"I got something kind of big, but I can't hold it very long. On my signal, run like hell. And if I tear myself in half….." Lang's voice startled Skylar from her thoughts as she turned to the two men beside her confused.

"What?" Bucky asked unsure as to what he really heard.

"Don't come back for me." Lang finished as Skylar's eyes panned the battle zone, looking for their little friend.

"He's tearing himself in half?" Bucky was still beyond confused, not like Skylar could blame him, even she didn't know what else Lang could have up his sleeve at this point.

"You sure about this, Scott?" Steve then asked, unsure himself if the man was absolutely sure about his choice.

"Yeah, I do it all the time. I mean once... ...in a lab. And I passed out. I'm the boss. I'm the boss. I'm the boss. I'm the boss. I'm the BEST!" Skylar listened to the man's self chant as she eagerly waited for whatever the sign was.

"While he distracts the team, I'll hang back and take Vision. There is no way he's gonna let you two get by." Skylar informed, waiting for the signal from Scott.

It wasn't exactly what she had been expecting as Mr. Lang was suddenly 100+ feet tall, holding Rhodey by the leg of his suit all awhile laughing like a crazy person.

"Holy fuck." She gaped in shock, slowly standing from her hiding spot as the two super soldiers followed her lead.

"I guess that's the signal." Steve mentioned unsure from beside her as she glanced over at him with a soft smile.

"Go. Both of you. We'll take it from here." She pecked him once more before pushing both of them away from her. Skylar stood there, momentarily frozen, just as Steve did. He stared at her as he took a few steps backwards, his body fighting against him to leave. He didn't want to leave her, not even a little. Everything inside him was fighting him to stay put, stay by her side, don't leave her alone, but when he thought he would change his mind and go after her, he felt a tug to his arm, glancing over to see Bucky staring at him with the same heartache he was feeling.

"We gotta go. She's strong, she'll be fine. We'll be back for her later." Bucky didn't sound as reassuring as he knew he was trying to come across as but it pushed Steve, just that last inch to leave.

Taking one last look at each, Skylar fighting back the big tears she knew were building behind her lids and waved with a soft smile. She was going to see them again. She knew she was. She had to make sure she would. She needed them both and they needed her.

Their eyes stayed glued to each other for a second more before Steve saluted her once more, a determined nod before he turned and the two began to race towards the hanger.

"Kick some ass." She muttered under her breath, a chill going down her spine as she spun, barely noticing the metal being flying at her, completely kicking the wind from her lungs as she was flung across the asphalt, rolling to a stop.

Whatever the hell had hit her, she felt like she was hit by a semi-truck. She gasped for air, lying out on her back, attempting to reel in the pain she could feel climbing up her torso before the sun was suddenly blocked out by something shiny.

That's when she realized what had happened, more so who had happened.

Eyes hardening, glaring true at the man now standing before her, his guns all facing down at her as she stared up at him with all the hatred in the world.

"It's a pleasant surprise, seeing you lying there, taking your punishment head on." The robotic voice spoke through the headpiece he had on causing her to snort, biting her lip in pain as her, no doubt, broken ribs argued back.

"Familiar position for you? Being on your back all the time?" She spat back defensively as the light on his boosters shot on, a clear warning towards her as she laid unmoving, her eyes flashing back and forth from him to her super soldiers still slipping closer and closer to the hanger unnoticed.

"I would shut that mouth of yours, if you know what's good for you. You and the rest of them are in so much trouble." Rhodey's voice teased as she rolled her eyes, slowly pushing herself to sit up, immediately hissing as her ribs protested at her movement.

"I would ask you to do the same but asking you not to talk is like asking you not to breath." She hissed through her teeth as she sat on her legs, one arm holding her up while the other was tightly wound around her wounded torso.

That seemed to tick Rhodey off enough for the man to shoot at her, pushing Skylar to roll out of the way at the last second before her hand shot out, freezing the man where he stood.

"W-What…." Rhodey fought to move his suit, his own AI pointing out that the mechanics of the suit were no longer communicating properly before his eyes sought out the now violet eyed woman slowly pushing herself to stand.

"I don't think I tell you this enough…..I fucking hate you." She hissed the last part with all the hate in the world before she tossed him as far as she could, his large frame making contact with an already destroyed plane just beside Scott.

"Scott, do me a favor, step on that silver one." She moaned out as she leaned forward, massaging her side.

"Doll! Are you okay?!"

"Sky, what happened?!"

Voices were yelling at her from the coms as she ran as fast as her legs would allow to push her to the plane closest to the hanger, hiding just beside the planes front tires.

"Damn trash can came at me but I'm fine, just a little dinged up." She explained, watching as Steve hesitated to come to her side once more before Bucky pushed him to continue on their way towards the hanger.

"SKY! VISIONS HEADING TOWARDS CAP!" Clint shouted into the line startling her as her eyes shot over to see the AI slipping through Scott as if he wasn't there.

"Something just flew in me!" Scott shouted through the coms as Skylar's eyes flashed violet before she took off towards the AI, planning on cutting him off short before he could make close to the others.

"I'm coming Sky!" Wanda suddenly added just as Vision made a move to attack.

"Not so fast big guy." Skylar muttered under her breath, her eyes flashing around for anything of use before deciding on just distracting him and not attacking him.

"VIS!" She snapped as the AI's eyes shot down to her, his eyes accessing her as she stood below him, glaring up at him.

"Ms. Stark." He addressed back as she continued to hold an arm around her waist.

"We both know, if you make a move on them, I will have no choice but to interfere." She warned him, an electrical current vibrating through the ground before shooting out to encase her arms and legs.

"And we both know, that this must be done." Vis quickly turned towards her super soldiers, a beam shooting out of his gem and at the building above the hanger. Screaming in anger and fear as the debris began to rain down on them, a familiar red cloud of power caught the pieces before Skylar could react.

"I got it." Wanda's voice spoke from beside her as Skylar smiled over at her in relief before a pulse shot through them both. Both Skylar and Wanda collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain and holding their heads.

Skylar needed to make sure Steve and Bucky left before completely gave up. Pushing through the pain, her eyes fuzzy at the pain pulsating through her head, her eyes flashed to violet as her hands shot out wildly, flying anything nearby. Seeing as that wasn't helping her cause, she took a deep breath, allowing her mind to grab on to the nearest post of tech, which so happened to be Rhodey. This man seriously could not learn his lesson.

Growling as her vision finally settled once more, her hard eyes glaring at the metal man standing frozen in front of her.

"Sky…." He warned, unable to move as her eyes flashed down to Wanda who laid unmoving beside her.

"Vision, if you hold any feelings or emotional connection to Wanda, get her away from here." Skylar's voice came out deeper as she turned her attention back to Rhodey who was now begging Vision to help him out.

Honestly, she wasn't sure if Vision would take her up on her offer but she was shook mildly surprised when she felt the AI approach the woman lying beside her.

"Take care of her." Skylar slowly let her hand off of Wanda's arm before standing to face Rhodey.

She wanted to rip this man to pieces, watch him scream and writhe beneath her power but honestly, was that her? No. Before she could anything, the sound of the quinjet shooting out from the hanger behind her, caught their attention as it shot past them and into the air. She made to distract Rhodey from the ship but low and behold, the man had somehow slipped past her hold and was already heading in the direction of the quinjet.

"Shit. Cap, you got a tail!" Skylar began to panic, not sure what to do at this point as she couldn't fly. Honestly, out of all abilities, she would die for the ability to fly right now.

"Sky, there's a helicopter in hanger 4, get on it!" Clint's voice startled her as she spun on her heels to see the man pulling himself from the ground across the tarmac.

"What?" She asked confused as he turned, his eyes meeting hers from across the way.

"You need to get on that helicopter and get out of here before Stark's backup gets here. I won't let you get caught." Clint's voice scolded her as she glanced over to hanger 4 to see the front of a helicopter sticking out.

"But what about…." She made to complain as he shook his head, pointing in the direction of the hanger just as Sam took off to follow Rhodey.

"Get out of here, go help Cap. You can come back for us once everything is done." Clint wasn't taking a no for an answer as tears welled up in her eyes, glancing around at the various members of her team that were now down and hurt, all for protecting her friend and fiance. She owed these people her life.

"I will be back for every one of you. I promise." She spoke, glancing over at a now awoken Wanda who smiled softly at her. She nodded at Vision once more before turning on her heels, running towards hanger 4 as a beam of light shot past her and into the sky. Glancing up, praying that Vision's beam wouldn't hit Sam or the quinjet, her eyes widened when it made direct contact with Rhodey, missing Sam as he had rolled out of the way just in time.

She didn't have time to see what happened to the man that deserved what he got, she ripped the doors to the helicopter open, diving in quickly before shutting the door as she clicked everything on. Slipping her headphones on as the blades above her began to spin on with a loud thump, she screamed suddenly when a figure suddenly appeared in the seat beside her.

* * *

 **Cut it off a bit shorter this week. Figured this was the best place to cut before Skylar reaches Siberia with the others.**

 **How did you like it? Who do you think showed up?**

 **See you next week!**


	15. Chapter 15

**i hate work and work hates me, that is all I have to say about the delay in updating**

 **anyways, here it is, the next chapter. didn't get a chance to edit it but it is readable, for now lol**

 **hope you all like it**

 **disclaimer: i do not own marvel or any of its characters**

* * *

Uncle Howard! What the hell?!" She screeched, her adrenaline already on an all-time high, her breathing almost non-existent. Out of all times to suddenly show up, her uncle decided now was the perfect time to pop in for a visit. Honestly, the last time she had seen him was in the other dimension while she was fighting HYDRA, what was the occasion?

"Language." He scolded as she rolled her eyes, having no time to argue with the man as she tilted the handles back towards her, allowing the large vehicle to lift slowly off the ground before pushing forward as it darted out of the hanger, giving her a quick peek of what had come of Rhodey who now laid in a crater with her cousin knelt down at his side.

She met his eyes briefly from the distance before she turned away, knowing she had bigger things at the forefront of her mind as she pushed the helicopter forward as fast as it could go.

"Is there a reason you decided to pop in Uncle?" She asked as the eerie silence in the large metal helicopter began to pick at her already fraying nerves.

"You are on your way to Siberia, are you not?" He asked as she turned to him, taking in his younger form before she turned away with a nod.

"I am. Steve and Bucky are already on their way there to stop Zemo from waking the others." She explained, realizing suddenly that this was her cousin's helicopter which meant it had its own cloaking mechanism somewhere.

"There you are." She whispered more to herself as she flipped the switch above her, allowing a low hum to encircle the bird before all was quiet.

"I've come to warn you." Howard suddenly announced as her eyes shot open and over to him, both in fear and concern.

"About what? Do we not make it in time?" She asked, now completely panicked that all their sacrifices will be for nothing.

Her uncle on the other hand sighed, his mustache twitching as he gazed through the windshield at the nearby clouds.

"You are quite the skilled flier, did Tony teach you?" Howard suddenly changed the subject which only fed a fire under her.

"Uncle Howard! What are you trying to warn me about?!" She snapped, stress and exhaustion from the last week catching up to her as she glared hard at the man sitting beside her. He knew she hadn't meant to yell at him and that she had a lot on her plate right now, so his eyes softened as he turned back to the windshield.

"When you reach Siberia, you will find out a lot more about Barnes than you hoped." Her uncle warned as her brows further, her eyes shooting back over to him.

"You will then have the choice, once again, to believe what he had done was not of his control, or your family." Howard's soft eyes turned to her once more, now full of tears as the corner of his lips twitched ever so slightly into a comforting smile.

"What….but…how….." Skylar felt like she was on the brink of an anxiety attack as her hands began to shack in the controls.

"Just remember one thing." Howard pressed softly, his hand reaching out to hold one of hers in comfort.

"I hold no ill will against what has happened and neither should you." His voice was like a whisper before his form completely disappeared from her presence.

* * *

"What's gonna happen to your friends? To Sky?" Bucky's voice startled Steve from his thoughts as he blinked the fog away from his eyes, clearing his throat before busying himself with the controls.

"Whatever it is, I'll deal with it." Steve sternly answered, his mind immediately tracing back to the soft eyes of his fiancé, who he had left behind. Why had he left her behind?

"I don't know if I'm worth all this, Steve. I'm not worth throwing Skylar into harms way." Bucky pressed sadly and in concern for the silver haired woman. Steve's heart thumped painfully in his ears, many possibilities crossing his mind on what was currently happening to the woman he loves. He knew she could take care of herself but still, she was sacrificing her own safety and freedom for his friend.

"What you did all those years….It wasn't you. You didn't have a choice and Skylar understands that more than anyone." Steve corrected, swallowing the lump building in his throat, silently praying that Skylar was alright, that his friends were safe.

"But I did it." Bucky whispered in dismay, turning his head to peer out of the side window at the clouds crawling by.

* * *

"Vision, how did this happen?" Tony asked in monotone though his eyes showed a various of boiled over emotions.

"I became….distracted." Even Vision was unsure how to explain it.

"I didn't think that was possible." Tony probed in accusation as the AI turned from the CT Scanner to his maker.

"Neither did I." The AI answered honestly before Tony brushed past him and out the door, finding himself a quiet place leaning against a railing that overlooked the scenery that was their backyard.

"The doctor said he shattered L4 to S1. Extreme laceration in the spinal cord. Probably looking at some form of paralysis." Tony listed on as he felt the familiar presence of his redheaded team member slide up beside him.

"Steve's not gonna stop and neither is Sky, wherever they are. If you don't either, then Rhodey's gonna be the best case scenario." Natasha filed in the man's injuries before pointing out Rogers hardcore determination.

"You let them go, Nat—" Tony scoffed, turning to blame the woman who only rolled her eyes, cutting him off.

"We played this wrong." Nat barked back defensively.

"We? Boy. It must be hard to shake the whole double agent thing, huh? Sticks in the DNA." Tony retaliated as Nat's eyes hardened.

"Are you incapable of letting go of your ego for 1 goddamn second?" Nat hissed back as Tony rolled his eyes, turning to glance away from the woman.

"T'Challa told Ross what you did, so they're coming for you." Tony pointed out uncaring as Nat rolled her eyes, turning from the man.

"You betrayed the only family you have left, I'm not the one who needs to watch their back." Nat spat out, watching the mild way Tony's eyes widened in guilt and anger before she spun, taking off in the opposite direction away from him.

Tony made to open his mouth and retort a smart ass comment before Friday alerted him. He glared at Nat's disappearing form before pulling up a screen from the watch he wore, showcasing a series of photos and police reports.

"What am I looking at, Friday?" Tony asked confused, tapping on a few before a familiar face popped up.

"Priority upload from Berlin police." Friday informed as Tony glared hard at the photo.

"Fire up the chopper."

* * *

Before long, the quinjet pulled up to a snowy Cliffside where a large snow vehicle sat, empty. Steve slowly lowered the quinjet to the snow covered ground below before shutting off the bird once they landed.

Once they greeted hard ground, Bucky pulled his seatbelt off before approaching the back of the quinjet, pulling open the weapons compartment in the far wall. Deciding on a gun, he pulled it free, slipping the strap over his shoulder before meeting Steve at the back door, just as the ramp lowered to the ground, the ice wind outside welcoming them as they both silently stared at the white ground beneath them.

"You remember that time we had to ride back from Rockaway Beach in the back of that freezer truck?" Steve randomly asked as Bucky blinked a few times before gazing over his friend, a foggy image of said memory floating slowly to the front of his mind.

"Was that the time we used our train money to buy hot dogs?" Bucky then asked, hesitantly though a small smile began to grow on his face at the relieved look playing across his friends features.

"You blew 3 bucks trying to win that stuffed bear for a redhead-.." Steve explained with a relieved laugh as Bucky chuckled, the memory clearing for him as he remembered the redhead's face, she was gorgeous, he had remembered.

"What was her name again?" Bucky asked in interest as Steve smiled, looking to him amused.

"Dolores. You called her Dot." Steve teased as Bucky glanced back to the snow terrain, a smile sitting upon his face.

"She's got to be a hundred years old by now." Bucky joked as Steve snorted, slipping his shield onto his back.

"So are we, pal." Steve patted his shoulder with a grin before he began to head down the ramp to the snow.

That's when something seemed to cross Bucky's mind as he realized something he had heard earlier.

"Steve." Bucky called out, jogging down the ramp to the man who had stopped at the sound of his name, turning to look at Bucky.

"What is it?" Steve asked as he pulled his helmet over his head, buckling it under his chin.

"Sky. She—she's worried you don't love her anymore." Bucky blurted out, at first unsure how to word this problem properly, startling Steve who hadn't expected to hear his fiancé's name at that particular moment.

"What?" Steve turned fully to face his friend, his eyebrows crinkling from under his mask.

"She told me that you asked her about that-breeding project." Bucky's voice grew softer towards the end as he saw the way his friends face paled slightly before he shook his head, turning to gaze away.

"Buck….now isn't the -" Steve made to cut his friend off, not wanting to talk about that particular event at the current time before turning to head towards the now opened doors off in the distance but Bucky wasn't having it. He owed Skylar this much.

"No, this is important. You _will_ listen to me Steve." Bucky's eyes had hardened when he remembered the tears that spilled from the woman's eyes as she mentioned her heartache to him just hours prior.

Steve glanced down at the hold his friend had on him, surprised before looking up at him shocked.

"She didn't go through with it." Bucky admitted, having remembered just bits and pieces of HYDRA's attempt in pushing the project through. His words seemed to shake Steve from his thoughts as his eyes widened. Steve's lips opened and closed a few times, looking like a fish out of water before Bucky sighed, pulling his hand free from Steve's forearm.

"HYDRA tried. Many times but she fought against them every single time. We…we didn't go through with it." Bucky reassured the man who seemed to have seen a ghost as he stared at Bucky silently.

"She doesn't remember because whenever she refused and fought, they put her under, put her into the chair. I would have been more surprised if she had remembered all of that." Bucky confessed, putting his metal hand through his tousled hair.

It was quiet between the two as they stood there for a few minutes, allowing Steve the time to process the new information as his heart thumped loudly in his throat. He should have known. Had she had gone through it and remembered, she would have told him. He knew. And yet, he interrogated her like an enemy, insisted on answers he knew she couldn't give and blamed her for things that weren't her fault. Most of all, he left her behind with those words he threw at her, still simmering between the two. He had royally fucked up.

"Thanks Buck." Steve thanked the man with a small smile, slapping a hand onto his shoulder before turning and heading towards the door, stopping hesitantly at the side as he peeked into the darkness on alert.

"He can't have been here more than a few hours." Steve mentioned, stepping in with his shield at the ready, Bucky's gun cocked and loaded.

"Long enough to wake them up." Bucky commented hesitantly as his grey eyes shot around the entryway.

The two silently slipped through the darkness, finding an old working elevator shaft that slowly took them to the lower levels of the hideout. Both stood, facing each other as the metal box slowly lowered them before coming to a completely halt.

"You ready?" Steve asked as he pushed up the fence, peeking back and forth across the dimly lit room.

"Yeah." Bucky announced determined, his gun at the ready as he slipped into the room before Steve, leading the way towards a single set of stairs to the side.

With their senses on high alert, the sudden sound of metal banging against metal sent the two super soldiers spinning in their spots, on the defense as they faced the elevator they had just exited from. Something was coming.

Eyes narrowed, muscles tense, the last person they had expected was to see a red and gold metal man, pry his way through the doors, his light filled eyes gazing at the two. Slowly Steve stood from his crouched position, his shield still held protectively in front of him as he hesitantly approached the man.

"You seem a little defensive." Tony pointed out as the face plate of his suit slid up and out of view.

"It's been a long day." Steve commented offhandedly while Tony's eyes snapped over to the soldier still standing at the ready at the top of the stairs.

"At ease, soldier. I'm not currently after you." Tony shouted sarcastically, his eyes glancing back at Steve's confused ones.

"They why are you here?" Steve askes suspiciously as Tony sighed, finding it hard to admit that he had been wrong along.

"Could be that your story's not so crazy." Tony explained with a guilty sigh as Steve slowly stood tall, his shield resting beside him now.

"Maybe." Steve added as Tony leaned against the cement pillar.

"Ross has no idea I'm here, I'd like to keep it that way. Otherwise, I gotta arrest myself." Tony shrugged in frustration just thinking about the mess that would explode had Ross found out.

"Well, that sounds like a lot of paper work." Steve chuckled causing Tony to roll his eyes amused.

"It's good to see you, Tony." Steve smiled softly at the man for the first time in days.

"Me too, Cap." Tony patted the man's shoulder before noticing once again that the other super soldier in the room hadn't moved from his defensive stance.

"Hey, Manchurian candidate, you're killing me. There's a truce here, you can drop it…." Tony whined halfheartedly as Bucky met Steve's eyes unsure, the super soldier captain only nodding in reassurance.

* * *

"They're here already." Skylar whispered to herself as she circled the quinjet sitting below in the snow before noticing another vehicle beside it along with a smaller plane sitting at a good distance from the other two. She stared at the plane, wondering if she had seen it before but realized she had never seen it. Great. Another addition.

Circling the area once more, not seeing any other surprises, she landed the chopper a bit further up the hill, out of view before shutting it off.

"Well, here goes nothing." She silently cheered herself on as she slipped out the side door of the chopper, a gun holstered to her thigh along with a sniper slung across her back. She knew she could use her abilities, easily, but if she didn't have to get too close to the fight and still help, she'd do what she could.

She swallowed heavily as the freezing weather pricked at her suit, though it didn't affect her enough to bother her, thank you Tony for designing her weather proof suit. Her face was freezing though which pushed her quickly to grab a mask, almost identical to Bucky's Winter Soldier one, though this one had a built in goggle piece that showcased thermal vision and night vision, which she knew would help her right now.

Slipping the gun off her back as she finally made it to the front door, she silently slipped through the snow and into the opening, her finger reaching up, tapping the thermal and night vision combo as she blinked her eyes, attempting to get used to the different scenario playing in front of her eyes.

It did help though as she snuck through the deserted base, searching for her family but 20 minutes into the building she was beginning to grow worried as she still hadn't heard or seen any living person.

It was eerily quiet before she heard the pitter patter of feet growing loudly around the corner. She planted her back against the darkest wall around the corner, cocking her gun silently before waiting for whoever was about to show themselves.

The second she caught a heat signature on her goggles, she snapped. Using the butt of the gun, she dove out, whacking at the figure before crouching as the figure made to grab her. Swiping her leg out, she took the figure down before aiming her gun down at the figure lying beneath her.

Who lied beneath was not who she was expecting.

"T-T'Challa?" She asked in a breathy tone, not releasing the hold she had on her gun as the black clothed man stared up at her silently.

"Ms. Stark." His voice answered as she narrowed her eyes through her goggles, allowing herself a few seconds for her goggles to search around for any heat signatures close by.

"Alone?" She cocked her brow, on the defense, waiting for the man to make a move so that she could retaliate.

"You were right." His words both shocked and confused her as she blinked in surprise, her grip on her gun faltering slightly.

"What did you say?" She spat out defensively, her eyes flashing violet though he couldn't see it through her goggles.

"Barnes is innocent." He confessed, slowly lifting his hands in defeat, his claw retracting back into his gloves.

She was confused yet happy that he had finally seen what she had. Slowly, she stepped back from him, her gun dropping to hang in one hand as she watched him stand from the ground, dusting his suit off.

"How…." She whispered unsure, still confused as to why he now believed her words.

"I should have listened to your words, I apologize Ms. Stark. It seems I have allowed my grief to cloud my judgement." T'Challa continued to admit, hanging his head in shame as she continued to stare at him, unsure how to go about this conversation.

"My father would not be proud of me right now. I assume he is looking down on me in shame, as you have mentioned." T'Challa added, glancing down the hallway silently.

"I owe you much Ms. Stark, but at the moment I have business with the man responsible for all of this." T'Challa's voice grew deeper before he took off running like a bat out of hell, down the hallway and out of sight before she could ask any more questions.

What the hell had happened?

She adjusted the gun in her arm, lost in her thoughts before she felt the ground under her vibrate slightly. That seemed to literally shake her from her thoughts as she forgot momentarily why she was there to begin with.

"Steve. Bucky." She whispered in a panic, running down the hallway at full speed, allowing her goggles to lead her towards the only heat signatures in view.

3.

There were only 3 heat signatures.

She assumed 2 of them were Bucky and Steve but the last one, she could pinpoint. Had they defeated the other soldiers and only one stood? She felt relief flood her system at the thought as she came sliding into a room, barely dodging out of the way as a large piece of what seemed like the wall, came crashing down where she had been standing.

"Holy shit." She gasped, glancing around the room, her goggles sensing heat signatures, but not in front of her. No. In front of her was what was left of what she recognized as where the whipping chair had sat at one point. Now it sat crushed under a large piece of metal. To the right and left, she saw bodies, familiar bodies lying in what was left of their glass cases, bullet holes in their foreheads.

They were dead. All of them.

Three heat signatures, that's when her head shot up, glancing up through the high ceiling of the room that led to a large hatch at the top. That's when she saw who the 3 heat signatures were.

Steve.

Bucky.

And Tony.

What the hell was Tony doing here?

"Shit." She cursed under her breath, pushing herself to stand before swinging the gun over onto her back, glancing around frantically for a way up. If Tony was still off his tilter about the Accords and about Ross wanting Bucky in custody, he had another thing coming. She was at the end of her leash as is.

Seeing a few bent pipes crushed into the side wall, she took off running at it without any hesitation, climbing up it quickly to a landing that rested 30 feet from the ground. She had the best view of the hatch slowly opening while a figure at the top jumped from landing to landing, hanging off the highest one while Tony and Steve fought a few landings down.

"Bucky." She whispered in concern, pushing herself against the wall, not wanting to be seen as she pulled her gun off her back, aiming it up at her cousin.

Steve startled her slightly when his shield shot across her view through her scope, right at her cousin who easily shot it away, his face mask opening as his aimed one of his thrusters up at Bucky.

"No way in hell." She hissed under her breath, quickly aiming once more before shooting, knocking his hand to the side as it shot the hydraulics responsible for the latch. Bucky shouted in surprise, falling off the ladder that led to the open hatch, and back onto the landing as the door slammed shut.

Both Tony and Steve's eyes shot down to the landing she was now standing on, their eyes widening to see who it was. Even though she was still wearing her mask, it was easy to pinpoint the silver hair flowing down her back.

"Sky." Tony whispered in shock, his eyes shooting back up to Bucky who was groaning as he pushed himself to stand once more.

"Doll." Steve called down surprised and confused as she pulled the mask off, latching it onto her belt, her gun still at the ready.

"Stand down Tony." She called out as she met Bucky's widened orbs from up top.

"This has nothing to do with the Accords anymore Sky!" Tony sounded more upset than she had ever heard him. All this just because Ross asked him to arrest the trio?

"Yeah, well that doesn't explain why I show up to find you practically trying to kill the two of them!" She snapped back, cocking her gun once more, her eyes flashing violet as Tony spun to face her.

"He killed mom and dad!" Tony suddenly shouted as Skylar's jaw dropped. Okay, not the reason she was looking for. She blinked, her eyes glancing over to Steve who was attempting to avoid her stare and then to Bucky who looked down guiltily.

"What?" She called back, unsure if she had even heard his words right.

"That guy, the doctor responsible for all this shit, he showed me the video. The CCTV footage of the night mom guys passed away. He was there! He was fucking there! He killed them!" Tony screamed loudly, his finger viciously pointing up at the man still standing at the top.

Bucky had killed Uncle Howard and Aunt Maria.

She felt the breath leave her lungs, her throat closing up as his words finally sunk in. The man that had helped her all those months ago in HYDRA, was the one that was responsible for her Uncle and Aunt's death? No. She shook her head. She felt tears welling up in her eyes before something said prior to her arrival finally hit her.

 _"_ _You will then have the choice, once again, to believe what he had done was not of his control, or your family."_

 _"_ _I hold no ill will against what has happened and neither should you."_

"Doll, he…." Steve called down, easily picking up the emotions flooding through his fiance.

Skylar was having a hard time processing the words of her cousin along with what her uncle had told her just a few moments prior. He had known it was Bucky all along. He knew what he had done and he knew of her connection to said man, yet he didn't blame Bucky for his death or for the death of his wife.

She shut her eyes, letting the tears fall freely before she sniffled, wiping her wet cheeks onto the leather of her arm.

She had come to a choice, like her Uncle had informed her to do.

"Tony…." Her small voice called up as her cousins' eyes sought out of her own. She could see how upset he was about this all, how it was affecting him, how hard it was for him not to shoot up and kill the man responsible for his parents death. And she knew, what she was about to say, wouldn't help the cause.

"It…..It wasn't him." She whispered desperately, watching anger melt into betrayal as his eyes widened.

"You…you would choose the man that killed my parents over me?" Tony turned to her hurt as she sighed, slipping her gun back onto her back.

"Tony, we've been over this. Anything he has done while under the Winter Soldier, wasn't his fault. He had no control over it." She begged as he scoffed in disbelief, looking around, unsure what to do or say at this point.

"I can't believe…..your aunt and uncle, they loved you more than me and yet…..pfft…this is fucking unbelievable. They've got you so far up their asses that you'd believe anything they said huh?" Tony snapped back down at her as she flinched slightly.

No. Bucky wasn't guilty of killing her family. HYDRA was. HYDRA was to blame, they were always to blame.

"Tony…" She called again, with a little more determination this time as he growled loudly, his thrusters now aimed at her sending her eyes widening.

"Tony…" Steve's held a hand up, wanting to distract the man before he shot down at his fiance.

"I can't believe you." Tony whispered in betrayal, his eyes hardening as he let go, a small missile launching from his fist and directly at the wall above her, exploding upon impact.

"SKY!" Both Steve and Bucky shouted as the rubble fell, a cloud of dust shooting up from where she had been standing moments ago. Steve took a step towards where a large pile of rubble now stood, Skylar nowhere in sight before his eyes hardened as his breath picked up.

"You son of a…" Steve hissed, his hands clenching beside him, his blood boiling over as he watched Tony ignore the fact that he might have just killed his only living relative and made his way up towards Bucky who was fuming at the seams.

Steve made to jump down to dig through the rubble before Bucky and Tony came shooting down from up top just as Steve jumped out, sending the 3 of them falling dozens of feet to the cement landing beneath them. Bucky landed with a loud thud onto the bottom landing while Steve groaned loudly as he made contact with the cement, rolling down onto the bottom floor.

Steve felt like a weight, nothing like he had felt before, sat on his chest as he pushed himself onto his hands and knees.

"This isn't gonna change what happened." Steve whispered out of breath as he heard the familiar metallic thuds approaching him from the left. Pushing himself to fully stand, facing the metal man who silently stared at him, he felt anger like no other boiling through his skin at the thought that this man had just killed his reason for living.

"And you killed your last living relative." Steve hissed in retaliation as Tony's stance widened.

"I don't care. He killed my mom." Tony completely ignored the fact that he had shot his cousin and jumped at the attack on Steve before Bucky soon slipped in.

* * *

Skylar felt like the world was sitting on her back, literally while her head felt like it was going to explode at any minute. She groaned, feeling something heavy lying on her as her eyes slowly fluttered open to dust, lots and lots of dust. Pain, soon crawled up on her as she moaned out, her eyes finally registering what had happened as a large piece of the wall laid across her chest and stomach, smaller pieces completely burying her under it.

Tony. He had shot at her.

She coughed as a cloud of dust moved up her form as the debris settled around her. Her hand slowly moved, feeling pain spiked up her shoulder and into her hand as she dropped her hand back beside her.

"Shit." She whispered out of breath, her eyes shooting around for any light as her ears finally registered something aside from ringing.

Fighting. They were still fighting.

She needed to get to them. Stop them before they killed each other.

Lifting her good hand, she made to push on the large cement piece, groaning in frustration and exhaustion as it didn't move an inch from on her. Skylar hissed a cursed through her blood stained teeth before dropping both of her arms as she realized the only way out was to blow it off of her. She shut her eyes, moaning in pain as she concentrated deeply on what she needed before a pulse shot off her exhausted form and at the debris around her. Everything in a 10 feet radius around her, exploded into dust, large chunks of cement shooting off of her and into every direction.

Coughing when she was offered fresh air and a clear area to breath, she rolled onto her side, holding her dislocated arm to her chest as she gazed down to the bottom floor where she could barely make out the 3 fighting.

She needed to get down there, now.

A lot easier said than done, especially with a sprained ankle, cracked ribs, a gash bleeding viciously from the back of her head and a dislocated shoulder. She was just surprised that she was still alive.

She fought to get down to them. Even through immense pain, she hung down from the landing, dropping anything but gently onto the landing beneath her, crying out in pain as she landed on the wrong foot. But she didn't have time to worry about herself, she needed to get down to her family.

Sucking the pain in, she bit into her cheek and pushed herself to stand once more, limping around the walkway that scaled the outer wall before finding a staircase waiting for her at the end. She grunted and groaned the entire way down the stairs before she slipped out in time to see Bucky down, his metal arm now missing and Steve on his hands and knees with her cousins back to her.

She had enough. She felt for her cousin, understood this pain but at the expense of trying to kill her? If Uncle Howard didn't hold an ill will against Bucky, why should she?

Skylar knew, deep down, Tony had officially lost his mind.

* * *

"Stay down. Final warning." Tony held a hand out, threatening Steve as the super soldier slowly fought to push himself to stand.

"I can do this all day." Steve panted in determination as he met Skylar's form in shock as she slowly made her way down the last pair of stairs that led to where they were fighting.

Skylar felt the last bit of her energy floating around in her foggy mind as she slid up beside Bucky's form, placing a hand on his cheek before sliding it down to his neck, checking for a pulse. She sighed in relief, he was alive though she couldn't say the same for what was left of his arm. Dropping her hand to his vest, she gripped it tightly before glaring up at her cousins form as his thrusters shot on, ready to attack Steve.

As Uncle Howards face appeared in the back of her mind, she shot a hand out, allowing the small bit of electricity that the compound still had and shot it at her cousins back, startling and hurting him as he spun, assuming it was Bucky only to see his cousin kneeling down behind him, shielding Bucky's body from him.

"You…." Tony's robotic voice hissed as he swung his leg back, making to attack her before Steve grabbed at him from behind, lifting him high above him before throwing him down onto the cement anything but gently. Seeing the pain the woman he loved was in, the injuries she sustained from the man lying beneath him, Steve wasted no time in straddling the metal man, delivery punch after punch with no care in the world.

When that didn't seem to do the trick, Steve's hand shot out for his shield, bashing Tony's face mask in before ripping it away, showcasing the man's injured and terrified face as Steve retracted his shield high in the air above his head before coming down on his chest piece, breaking the arc reactor in half.

Tony arms were held up in front of his face, afraid that he had pissed the Captain off enough that he wanted to kill him. But the moment his shield came down on his face, his arms slowly fell away from his face, his eyes wide in terror as Steve leaned on the ledge of his shield, turning it slightly to completely disable his suit.

At that, Tony stopped fighting, lying there in defeat as Steve rolled off of him, crawling over to Skylar who was already at the edge of tears and wrapped her up in his arms, breathing in her familiar scent.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry doll." Steve whispered as she sobbed into his chest, ignoring the pain that was radiating all over her form.

Once they had pulled away from each other, Steve helped her stand as she limped against his side while they both leaned over to help a barely conscious Bucky off the ground and into Steve's other side.

"That shield does not belong to you. You don't deserve it! My father made that shield!" Tony's voice shouted the moment they took a step towards the exit, completely freezing the 3 in their spots as Steve let go of the two, turning to face the man.

Skylar watched as Steve stared down at the shield in his hand in longing before dropping it to the ground in defeat, turning to take the two back into their arms but Skylar wasn't ready to leave.

She glared at her cousin, flicking her wrist as the shield easily slid across the ground, hitting Tony's foot as the man lifted his eyes to meet her own.

"You betrayed your family." Tony hissed as her eyes hardened further.

"Blame me all you want just know that Uncle Howard personally told me he held no ill will against Bucky, for any of it. Even he knew the control HYDRA had over him." Skylar whispered as Tony's eyes widened in surprise.

"Come on doll." Steve whispered as she turned to him with a soft smile, allowing him to wrap an arm around her waist to hold her up.

"Sky!" Tony shouted once more as she sighed, glancing over her shoulder at her cousin that was attempting to pull himself from the ground.

"Uncle Howard told me to listen to my heart and I would know what was right. T'Challa is done allowing vengeance to control him, are you?" She added, watching his eyes water as she turned back to the two men beside her before they left.

* * *

 **how was it? good? bad? Let me know.**

 **To be honest, this is the ending of the Civil War plot but I'm unsure how to pick up from here. I'd love to hear from you all.**

 **see you~**


	16. Chapter 16

**Life is literally kicking my ass right. I've been having trouble, personal trouble with my family and I just, I find myself sitting alone alot lately. With updating, I've been struggling to find any motivation to post, the things going on in my life not helping whatsoever so please be patient with me.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or it's characters**

* * *

"I can't believe you came." Steve's whispered exhausted as the trio limped down the hallway towards the still opened door.

"You think I'd leave the two of you to fight this alone?" She mocked halfheartedly through pain as they slipped into the freezing weather, stopping just outside the door.

"Sky, I'm sorry, I didn't….." Bucky's raspy voice carried over the blaring wind as she glanced over with a small smile, shaking her head.

"You had no control over what happened, there is nothing to apologize for."

* * *

Instead of climbing into the waiting quinjet, Skylar led them up the hill towards the chopper she had brought, the 3 of them freezing upon seeing a familiar black figure waiting for them.

Bucky and Steve tensed up for a fight at the sight of the man while Skylar put her good arm up, stopping them from approaching the man. They stared down at her confused as she shook her head, turning to watch as T'Challa pulled his helmet off, looking at them in guilt.

"I had almost killed an innocent man." T'Challa pointed out as Bucky and Steve looked at each other confused.

"I owe you much. I owe you my life Ms. Stark and I would like to apologize for what I have done and said to the 3 of you." T'Challa apologized as Skylar nodded with a soft smile.

"It's alright, in all honesty, I would have done the same had I been you." She confessed as T'Challa gazed at her in admiration before turning to the other 2, noticing the various injuries littering their forms.

"It would seem you 3 are in desperate need of medical attention. I can help you, if you would allow me to." Sky turned to the two men beside her as she nodded to T'Challa, realizing that the two males were in no position to make any coherent decisions.

"I'd appreciate that very much."

* * *

A few days later….

Luckily for the trio, T'Challa had some incredible medical staff under his wing. Steve walked away with minor bruising, a few cuts here and there, Bucky's arm was completely gone but either than that, he was fine. Skylar, had taken the brunt of everything and being the non-super soldier of the trio, had to be constantly looked after.

4 broken ribs. An ankle that had started off as a sprain but ended with a snapped bone from walking on it, a dislocated shoulder that was popped back into place almost immediately and a large laceration to the back of her head that needed 30 staples to shut.

All in all, it was safe to say that T'Challa had made the right decision on putting her under for the time being, just so that she could rest and recover as best as possible. Sure, Steve had commented about forcefully putting her under but when he realized how extensive some of her injuries were, he came to terms that he had no choice on the matter and agreed.

"How's Sky doing?" Bucky spoke for the first time that morning as a doctor did his usual check-up.

Steve glanced away from the window, smiling over at his friend that showed obvious concern for the woman.

"She's fine Buck. Healing. Resting. T'Challa and his team put her under so that she could heal as quickly and comfortably as possible." Steve strolled over to stand beside the table Bucky was currently perched on, a small doctor silently going through the steps of his check-up.

"Put under?" Bucky wasn't sure how to determine what his friends words meant exactly.

Steve sighed at the question and nodded, slipping his hands into his coat pocket.

"T'Challa has a machine here that puts you into a coma like state while it helps your body to heal. I didn't like it at first but….but with the injuries she sustained, he mentioned it would take longer, with many complications if we hadn't put her in." Steve's voice got softer and softer as he continued to explain before the doctor nodded at the two, slipping out of the room silently.

Bucky stared over at his friend in guilt, his mind feeding that guilt into something more.

"And don't blame yourself over this Buck, she wouldn't want that and you know it." Steve immediately scolded upon noticing the way his friends brows furrowed, his teeth almost chewing through his bottom lip.

A few awkward seconds ticked by before Bucky's next questions startled the captain.

"She saw Howard?" Bucky asked hesitantly, having not experienced her 'spiritual' outlook since their time in HYDRA. He hadn't been sure if she had it or not, but mentioning Howard while they were in Siberia, he had a hunch she had meant just that.

Steve glanced up in surprise, licking his dry lips before nodding, pulling his hands from his pockets to wrap over his chest.

"It's not the first time." Steve confessed, noticing the short look of confusion cross his friends face. He sighed, looking down at his hands briefly, honestly not wanting to relive what had happened all those months ago.

"A few months ago, HYDRA tried to get her back. They attacked the tower when she was left behind with Barton. We knew it was a trap but Fury insisted we go to Germany where we received Intel on Rumlow from. It was a disaster. She was put into 'asset' mode, like they do with you and the Winter Soldier, and almost completely took us out." Steve sighed, rubbing a hand up and down his face in frustration.

"We were able to get Collins into custody but it didn't do us much help. Within the week, they got back into the Tower, we all took a pretty good beating before it happened." Steve's voice got quieter and quieter as he had to relive the moments of that day through his memories.

"I didn't think it was possible, none of us did but they used her as a bridge. She just knelt there, unmoving, while a bright beam of light was pulsating from her, figures, dark figures slowly emerging from the light and wreaking havoc." Steve gestured with one of his hands, his head turning to take in the view.

"I saw…I saw it on the news one night. Those dark figures coming out of the sky and attacking the people. The moment I saw the color of the beam and where it was coming from, something told me it was her." Bucky confessed softly as Steve shut his eyes tightly, nodding to his friends words.

"They had somehow sent Tony's consciousness to the other dimension. Skylar found him there after the bridge had opened. She told us that they had no idea how to get back or stop what was happening until two figures showed up. Howard and her mother. That was the first time she had saw them." Steve met his friend's concerned eyes before he cleared his throat, approaching one of the windows.

"Now I'm assuming that Howard showed up sometime between the airport and Siberia and forewarned her about that video." Steve sighed out loudly before lifting his arm to look at his watch.

"I can't believe he doesn't blame me….for what happened." Bucky's soft words caught Steve off guard once more as he glanced over his shoulder at his friends dejected form.

"It wasn't your fault Buck. You had no control over what happened and Howard was smart enough to realize that. He was our friend. You wouldn't have killed your friend." Steve turned, reassuring the man who only sighed in defeat, glancing away quickly.

Steve stared at his friend silently for a few more moments before peering down at his shoes in thought.

"I need a favor Buck." Steve suddenly pushed out as Bucky turned to him quickly, his brows furrowed.

"What favor?" Bucky asked both hesitant and confused as to what kind of favor his friend could need at the current moment.

Steve's face contorted into deep concentration before he put a hand through his hair, messing up the usually styled look.

"I have to leave, do something, but I refuse to leave Skylar unsupervised." Steve confessed as Bucky's brows shot into his hairline.

"Leave? Where?" Bucky asked, slipping off the table he had been sitting on, looking at his friend as if he had grown a 3rd head.

Steve stepped back, allowing his friend room to move and breath before sighing, resting his hands on his hips.

"The others, I need to find them, get them out. I have a hunch where they are being kept and it's not somewhere I want them to be stuck in." Steve confessed as Bucky's eyes sought out his friends.

"While I'm gone, I need you to keep an eye on Sky. Out of everyone here, you are the only one I trust completely with her." Steve stepped up to his friend, placing a hand on the other's shoulder with a small smile.

Bucky melted under his friend's hand, realizing there was no way he could tell this man no, especially with Skylar in the picture. He would do anything for Steve and Sky, anything. Bucky nodded slowly, lifting a hand to place atop his friend's one.

"Of course."

* * *

"That's just a first test." Tony pointed out as he closely watched Rhodey limp through the handle bars.

"Yeah." The dark skinned man nodded as he fought to push on with his leg braces.

"Give me some feedback. Anything you can think of. Shock absorption? Lateral movement? Cup Holders?" Tony offered as he turned, walking beside his friend who grunted with every step.

"You may want to think about some AC down there." Rhodey teased with a chuckle before yelping as his legs gave out beneath, sending him falling to the ground as he caught himself on his hands. In that split second, Tony was on his knees, his hands already reaching out to help him up.

"I'll give you a hand." Tony announced as Rhodey shook his head, pushing himself to sit down as he pushed Tony's hand away.

"No, no, don't. Don't help me. Don't help me. 138. 138 combat missions. That's how many I've flown, Tony. Every one of them could've been my last, but I flew em. To the fight needed to be fought. It's the same with these Accords. I signed because it was the right thing to do. And, yeah, this sucks. This is... This is a bad beat. But it hasn't change my mind. I don't think." Rhodey rejected the help before sighing out as he went on to reassure his friend that he was still completely behind his decision to sign the Accords no matter what happened to him.

Tony smiled at his friend, leaning down, ignoring his friend's rejection of help and helped him anyways, allowing him to use him as a crutch as he helped him back towards the bars.

"You okay?" Tony asked unsure as Rhodey nodded with a defeated sigh.

"Oh yeah." Rhodey patted Tony's shoulder in a silent thanks before they both turned at the sound of a knock to see an older gentlemen just outside the glass window with a package in hand.

"Are you….are you Tony "Stank"?" The man asked unsure as Rhodey scoffed in laughter, looking to Tony's unamused eyes.

"Yes, this is-this is Tony "Stank"! You're in the right place. Thank you for that! - I'm never dropping that, by the way. Table for one, Mr. "Stank". Please, by the bathroom." Rhodey teased as he went back to walking sending Tony laughing with a shake of his head.

After signing out the package that was indeed addressed to him, he escorted Rhodey back down the hall before slipping back into his own office at the opposite end of the compound. Staring at the package laid out on his desk, he taped his fingers along the glass table top in thought. He had a hunch who it was from.

Caving in, he ripping one side open, dumping the contents—a cellphone and envelope- onto the table, immediately reaching for the envelope first as he didn't recognize the cellphone.

Peeling the envelope open, he recognized it as his friends handwriting.

"Tony. We're glad you're back at the compound. We don't like the idea of you rattling around in a mansion by yourself. We all need family. The Avengers are yours, maybe more so than mine. I've been on my own since I was 18. I never really fit in anywhere. even in the army. My faith's in... people, I guess. Individuals. And, I am happy to say for the most part, they haven't let me down. Which is why we can't let them down either. Locks can be replaced, but, maybe they shouldn't. I know I hurt you, Tony and it kills Skylar to know that she has lost the only family she has left. I guess I thought by not telling you about your parents, I was sparing you. But... I can see now that I was really sparing myself. And I'm sorry. We both are. Hopefully one day you can understand. We wish we'd agree on the Accords, we really do. I know you're doing what you believe in. And that's all any of us can do. That's all any of us should." Tony hung his head, resting his face into his hand as continued to read the letter that was sent to him from Steve before noticing a separate note at the bottom of the letter, written by his cousin.

"Priority call from Secretary Ross. There's been a breach at the RAFT prison." Friday's voice interrupted him as he glanced at the phone.

"Yeah, put him through—" Tony held the letter tighter in his grasp, pressing the phone line.

"Tony, we have a problem…" Ross's voice immediately peeked through the line as Tony held up a finger.

"Ah, please hold." Tony interrupted the man.

"No. Don't." Ross scolded before Tony cut the line turning back to the letter in his hand.

"Tony, I know you think I have betrayed you and in some twisted way, maybe I did, but you have to understand where I stand. Your dad came to visit me on my way to Siberia and warned me something like this would happen. Something would happen that I would have to make a choice between them or you. Family always comes first and of course I would have been angry had he not told me that he held no ill will against Buck. You gotta understand where I'm coming from Tony. Uncle Howard wanted me to choose Buck, wanted me to forgive someone who had no control over their deaths, if he didn't, he wouldn't have warned me ahead of time. I'm sorry Tony. I really am and I hope one day, soon, we can see each other without wanting to kill the other. I miss you, as sappy as that sounds. I love you, you big pile of tin." By then, Tony was surprised to find himself on the verge of tears, a few stray ones falling down his cheeks, dripping off his jaw onto the table top beneath him.

"So, no matter what. We promise you, if you need us, if you need me, we'll be there." Steve's writing ended the letter as Tony's eyes shot over to the cellphone that came with the package.

"Always." Skylar signed the end of the note with a small heart drawn into the corner.

Tears silently fell from Tony's lids as he stared at the cellphone, his only connection to his last living relative and then back to the phone line that was still blinking in the background.

They needed them.

* * *

 **I need a favor. If anyone has any suggestions on where the story should go from here, I'd appreciate hearing from you. Your opinions really do help feed my confidence :)**

 **Hope to hear from you all!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Had an opportunity to spend a little more time on this chapter. Got some free time to myself to sit down and actually write this out with the rush of everyday life and to be quite honest, I enjoyed where this chapter went, surprisingly enough.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

Pain.

Truth be told, she was getting pretty fed up with waking up always in pain. Honestly, how many times was this now? 2? 5? 10?

She blinked, her eyes still shut as she forcefully pried them open for the first time in what felt like months. Her lids felt like lead along with her body as a dimly lit ceiling came into view. She groaned softly, shutting her eyes just as quickly as she had pulled them open, muttering something incoherent under her breath as her face scrunched in the complete opposite of comfortable.

Oh right.

The fight with Tony.

She saw Uncle Howard who had 'cryptically' warned her about his death and who was responsible for it.

Finding out Bucky had been the one to kill her aunt and uncle.

Having the hard choice between a man who had protected her for the worst months of her life and her only living relative.

Tony dropped a wall on her, literally. To be honest, this moment pissed her off more than anything else. How on earth did that guy have the nerve to almost kill her? Okay, if she's being realistic here, some part of her didn't completely blame him. She did technically choose the man he labeled as his parent's killer over her own flesh and blood, Skylar would have been upset too, given the same condition.

T'Challa. Oh right, he had gave the 3 of them safe passage after learning the truth of his father's death. Thank god too. She wasn't 100% sure what they would have done had T'Challa not offered to help them. Honestly, look at her, she's in the medical ward, with no recollection of how long she had been out. It's a good thing T'Challa had been around or she might have been laying in some rundown motel with Bucky bleeding out and Steve—

Wait. Steve. Bucky.

Her eyes shot open at light speed before whipping around the unfamiliar room for any sign of life. Attempting to push herself up to go on a manhunt for her fiancé and friend, she cried out as the movement sent her still healing ribs, stabbing at her viciously. Her one good arm shot around her side, immediately feeling the thick bandaged wrapped around her torso as she fell back into her bed, anything but gently.

Oh yeah, she was injured and from the looks of it, still, healing.

Thankfully she didn't have to search the building herself, whether physically or mentally, she wasn't sure how much more her head could take at this point. It felt like someone had repeatedly put a sledgehammer to her temple while she slept and she was beginning to wonder if it had anything to do with over exerting herself back in Siberia.

"Sky." A voice startled her from her painful thoughts as her head snapped up from her lap, meeting the grey eyes of her friend. Instantly a relieved smile broke across her features as he shut the door, taking her smile as an 'okay' to approach as he did just that.

"Buck." She whispered in relief as the corners of his lips twitched ever so slightly though he still kept a good distance from the side of her bed.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as her eyes took a quick once over of his various injuries, stopping at his missing arm for longer than needed before her eyes were once again meeting his own.

"Tired. Sore but I'll be fine. You?" She asked softly, her eyes showing concern as they darted off to his missing arm once more, attempting to be discreet though she was terrible at that.

Bucky smiled softly, slowly lowering himself into the seat that she had just noticed beside her bed before putting his flesh hand through his long hair.

"I'll be fine. T'Challa is building another arm for me as we speak." Bucky's soft voice answered as his flesh hand reached over, rubbing the nub that was left of his left arm.

Skylar smiled in comfort, momentarily glancing behind him in hopes that her fiance would be walking through the door at any minute before meeting his eyes again. He had already been watching her every reaction, waiting for something to set her off enough for him to leave quickly before things got ugly. He wasn't sure how to handle an outburst without Steve around.

"Steve, where….." She began to ask, her hand unconsciously fiddling with the hem of her hospital gown as she watched Buck sigh once more, looking down to his shorts briefly.

"He left a few days ago. Asked me to watch over you as he did an errand." He confessed, glancing up hesitantly through his lashes to see her brows in her hairline.

"He left? For an errand?" Skylar wasn't completely sure if she had heard him right and honestly, if she had, she was a little peeved that he didn't have the decency to wait for her to gain consciousness and tell her himself before disappearing to an unknown location.

Buck saw the various emotions cross her face, anger the most prominent one as he sat up quickly, realizing how his explanation had sounded to the woman, wanting to correct himself before she exploded.

"He went to get your other friends. They were being held in an 'ocean prison' or Steve called it the Raft Prison. He went to retrieve them." Bucky naturally placed his flesh hand on her own, pulling her from her thoughts and back into their own conversation. Immediately she melted in relief, sighing out loudly at the vicious attack of emotions before turning to him.

"How long ago did he leave?" Skylar then asked, her hand turning over to offer her palm before her fingers wrapped around his own. Surprisingly, he hadn't even noticed that small bit from her.

"3 days." He confirmed as she turned to the floor to ceiling windows, taking in the view of the jungle just beyond it.

"He asked me to look over you till you woke and that he would be back by the end of the week." Bucky added as she shut her eyes and nodded, her hand squeezing his own, startling him as he hadn't even realized she had been holding his hand.

"How long have we been here? How long was I out?" Skylar instantly interrogated, her eyes whipping back to meet his own.

"We've been here going on 2 weeks. You've been out since we got here." Bucky quickly answered the woman who nodded, slowly taking in the new information before there was a knock at the door.

Bucky was on his feet faster than she could blink, instantly standing at the ready just in front of her.

"Yes?" She called out hesitantly, her hand reaching out to rest against Bucky's forearm, pushing it out of the way just a bit to get a look at the person stepping into the room. Bucky relaxed, only a bit at the sight of the dark-skinned man in a suit, stepping in with a bright smile and eyes.

"Ah, Ms. Stark. Welcome back to the land of the living." T'Challa teased as he shut the door behind him, though his words made Bucky tense further, his glare narrowed at the man.

"It's alright Buck. He's okay." Skylar whispered in a silent promise to her friend before smiling at the man that slowly approached her free side, his eyes taking in the tense soldier beside her.

"I promise I am not here to hurt her, Mr. Barnes." T'Challa put his hands up in innocent defense as Bucky narrowed his eyes, scanning the man's figure before slowly relaxing, though Skylar decided to keep her grip on him just incase.

"How are you feeling today Ms. Stark? Any intense pain?" T'Challa asked in kindness as she shook her head with a smile.

"No, I'm alright. Thank you T'Challa, for all of this." She instantly thanked the man that made it possible for the 3 of them to heal and live to see another day. The dark skinned man chuckled, his bright smile lifting the room as his slipped his hands into his pants pockets.

"Nothing to thank me for. I owe you this and much, much more for what you have done for me. If it is any consolation, my father would not think highly of me, had I left 3 such heroes out to die in the snow." He smiled softly down at her before briefly looking up to Bucky. Skylar couldn't help herself but to chuckle at his words, nodding slowly.

"I have received a radio transmit from the plane I have allowed the Captain to borrow for his retrieval. He is on his way back." T'Challa then offered as her eyes lit up in both relief and excitement.

"They should be back within the next few hours, but in the meantime, Mr. Barnes, my staff would like it if you allowed them to fit you with the arm I have been designing." All attention was back on Bucky as he silently stared at the man.

"If you are uncomfortable coming alone, I can have a wheelchair brought it to allow Ms. Stark to accompany you."

"No, she….." Skylar knew Bucky was about to spit his distaste at her leaving her hospital bed, having freshly woken up but she could also sense the hesitation and nerves ripping up his arm into her own.

"Buck, it's okay. I feel fine plus I'd really like to get out of this bed especially if I've been in here as long as you said." She smiled in comfort up at him, noticing the clash of emotions on his face before he sighed, shutting his eyes and softly nodding to T'Challa's words.

"But you don't leave my side, for anything." Skylar couldn't help but let out a bubble of laughter at his words, recognizing the man Steve had bragged about for years, peeking through the tense man beside her.

"I promise." She lifted her good arm in a mock salute before turning to T'Challa who continued to smile at the interaction.

"Shall we go?"

* * *

Thankfully, it wasn't your everyday normal wheelchair as she had been expecting. She was lucky enough that T'Challa had various types of technology at his fingertips as she wheeled herself using the small joystick on her arm rest, beside T'Challa towards what she assumed to be the laboratories.

"Mr. Barnes, if you would be so kind as to situate yourself onto the examination table while I go and gather the team." T'Challa gestured towards the single table sitting at the far end of the room before smiling down at Skylar as he left the room.

Turning back towards Buck, once the door to the room shut, she smiled softly as she watched him climb onto the table, situating himself as asked. She rolled herself closer to him, planting the back of her chair facing the window before she glanced up at him to see him already staring down at her.

"What?" She asked hesitantly, looking down at herself quickly to do a once over, wondering if something was wrong or worst, showing.

"You spoke to Howard…before you came to Siberia?" He asked suddenly as she blinked a few times before nodding, realizing how surprised and confused he must have been when she left off that little tip.

"One of the many things HYDRA has blessed me with." She joked halfheartedly as she played with the sweat pants T'Challa's people had given her to wear for the time being. Clearing her throat, realizing it wasn't something to joke about, she lifted her head to meet Bucky's guilty ones. Tilting her head with a soft smile, making sure she had his undivided attention, she reassured him.

"Howard doesn't blame you Buck, for any of it. He knew. He knew you had no control over what happened that day." She softly pushed as his brows furrowed deeply before his eyes snapped away from her own and down to his lap.

"I didn't even know what had happened and yet, the one thing he told me was ' _I hold no ill will against what has happened and neither should you_.'" She repeated the same words her uncle had offered her before she landed in Siberia.

"I've never once, held anything against you Buck, no ill will because, I know the truth behind HYDRA, behind what they did to you, the control they had over you and not once, since I found out about my aunt and uncle, have I felt anything against you." She pressed on, leaning forward only slightly, attempting to meet his eyes as he avoided her.

"I know how it feels to be drowning in your guilt, allowing that guilt to build and bubble over because you feel like you deserve it, but you don't. I almost killed Steve for god's sake, all because of HYDRA's control. I had, for a long time, chastised myself daily on the prospect that maybe I as a person had been trying to kill Steve, but there is no way I would hurt that man. I love his stupid ass too much." She chuckled, glancing away back into her lap as she felt the tears pooling behind her eyes.

"HYDRA controlled me many times since we met. I've killed innocent children with these hands and it still hurts, but I have slowly begun to learn that we cannot hold everything against ourselves, especially where HYDRA is involved." She lifted her glassy eyes to meet his own, smiling softly at him.

"I can never clean my hands of the blood they have shed on HYDRA's behalf, but I sure as hell can avenge them and use what HYDRA have given me, against them. That is exactly what I plan on doing, till my last breath." Slowly tears slipped from her lids and down her pale cheeks before dropping onto the hoodie she had been given.

"As Tasha once told me, ' _Mopping around isn't going to solve shit but doing something about the problem, like kicking HYDRA ass on a daily and stopping this from happening to anyone else, that, that could solve a lot'_." She sniffled, chuckling through her tears as she lifted her hand to wipe her face, embarrassed that she was crying in front of someone that held more pain than she could ever encounter in her lifetime.

Sniffling heavily once more, she sighed out loudly, clearing her throat before meeting his eyes with a new set of determination.

"We're in the same boat here, Bucky. Where I'm concerned, there is a lot of damage the two of us can hash out when it comes to HYDRA and I say, we use these given gifts to hand HYDRA their asses one by one. We are Avengers after all. It's what superheroes do."

* * *

That conversation, was the first time, Skylar had ever seen Bucky smile genuinely, since the first time they had met. They spoke softly for a few more minutes before T'Challa had returned with his lab technicians and a newly made arm that resembled Bucky's previous one though this one was cleaner and a bit more advanced. Skylar pushed herself to the side, making sure she was in view of Buck as he watched her hesitantly. Smiling and giving the nervous man a nod and a playful thumbs up, she silently watched as he laid down, allowing the technicians the room to begin connecting the arm.

"I've informed the Captain of your status." T'Challa whispered down to her from where he stood as she glanced up at him surprised.

"He expressed his happiness on such news and will seek you out once he arrives." T'Challa smiled down at her sending her blushing as she cleared her throat and turned back to where Bucky was stiffly lying.

"If my cousin gets a whiff of this place and news that we are here, he'll come for us." Skylar whispered, not wanting Bucky to hear as she slowly looked up at the King beside her.

"Captain Rogers expressed the same thing just before his departure. I've told him that I would do everything in my power to stop that from happening. You both are guests of the King here and will be treated as such by my people." T'Challa confessed as she blinked in surprise.

"You have nothing to fear while you are here, Ms. Stark. My people and I will protect you both at all costs."

* * *

T'Challa disappeared a few minutes later, saying he had some things to look after and would return when he was done. Skylar thanked him profusely as he left, sending the man laughing wholeheartedly as he begged her to stop thanking him. Once he had disappeared behind the shut door, she turned her full attention back to Bucky, her mind going on a whirlwind at T'Challa's words from moments before.

"If Mr. Barnes could please sit up." One of the technicians spoke, pulling Skylar from her thoughts as her wheelchair slowly slid forward to get a better look.

At the woman's words, Bucky pushed himself to sit up, throwing his legs over the ledge of the bed before turning to look down at the new arm that gleamed beside him. The first thing both noticed was the absences of a well-known red star. It may not have meant much to others but to Bucky, it was a fresh start without the bright brand labeling him for what he was.

Skylar smiled like a mother, watching silently from the sidelines as the technician instructed Bucky to move his arm from side to side, twisting, up and down, clenching his fingers into a fist and a few more exercises before they began to disperse from the room, one by one.

"Thank you." Bucky's deep voice thanked the startled technician who hadn't been expecting such sentiment from the man. The aged woman gazed up from him from her workstation and smiled a motherly smile.

"You are very welcome Mr. Barnes. Enjoy." She winked at him, startling him this time before she disappeared behind the door.

Unable to stop herself, Skylar broke out laughing behind her hand, the sound coming out as more of a wheeze due to her ribs before she all but moaned in pain when the movement was way too much for her to handle.

"You alright?" Bucky was on his feet and beside her within seconds, his eyes searching her form for any visible injuries.

Skylar smiled through the pain, nodding her head before gesturing towards the door.

"I think that woman was hitting on you." She teased through a deep breath, having to force herself not to break out laughing once more at the scandalous look Bucky passed her at her words.

Forcing the laughter down, she reached out, patting the tap of his jokingly.

"She's about your age." She teased further, watching the scandalous look disappear before he snorted, pushing himself to stand as her hand slipped from his hair and back into her lap.

"Age jokes, really?" He shot back amused as she grinned cheekily up at him, loving the relaxed way he was with her at that moment.

"Ms. Stark. Mr. Barnes." A voice called from behind the door before it slowly opened as T'Challa's head peeked in. Seeing that everyone was decent and able, he stepped in with a smile etched across his face.

"I've come to escort you both to the hanger. Captain Rogers will be landing momentarily."

* * *

Her wheelchair couldn't roll faster for her liking. The moment she heard her fiancé was landing any moment, at the speed she shot her wheelchair's joystick forward, have given enough speed, she would have peeled out around the two men and down the hallway before they realized she was gone. But unfortunately, she had only made it past Bucky before the man quickly took command of the chair, taking the handles in his grip before pushing her out of the door just a bit faster than she was allowed.

And thanks to Bucky and his pushing, they made it to the hanger within minutes, just in time to see the borrowed jet slowly making its appearance from behind the mountains in the distance.

"Medical personnel at the ready." T'Challa commanded around the busy hanger a various medical persons gathered with needed equipment, awaiting orders from the man.

"You are to take good care of these people, as if you are treating royalty. We are to take care of these people as our own." He commanded further, smiling over his shoulder at her from where he stood before everyone's hands shot up, protecting their faces and hair from the onslaught of wind shooting off the jet as it landed.

Skylar literally bounced in her seat as Bucky smiled down at her, placing his flesh hand on her shoulder to give it a light squeeze before the back of the jet slowly opened.

Instantly, the medical personnel shot into gear, running up the ramp to assist anyone that needed it.

Skylar was silently praying no one was hurt or dying but thankfully, as the crew emerged, Clint sat, forcefully in a wheelchair, complaining about having legs to walk while the nurses around him shouted at him in Wakandian. Next was Sam, who was attempting to be as gentle as possible as he tried to push off wandering hands, informing the nurses that he was alright, if anything starving. Scott followed soon after, holding what she assumed was an ice pack to his temple while almost looking as if he was enjoying all the attention around him. Typical Scott. But what stopped the laughter that wanted to bubble from her throat was the sight of one person being pushed down the ramp on a gurney, looking paler than she had remembered.

"Wanda." She whispered in a panic, wanting nothing more than to shoot over to her friend's side before a man stepped before her.

"I will personally make sure that Ms. Maximoff is well looked after, Ms. Stark. In the meantime….." T'Challa gestured with his head in the opposite direction, her eyes immediately meeting a familiar set.

Her heart thudded in her chest, tears welling up in her eyes as a sob began to build.

"Doll." Steve whispered in relief from the bottom of the ramp, a smile slowly growing as he ran to meet her. Arms out and ready from her seat, she let out a loud cry of relief as his arms immediately engulfed her smaller form, his scent surrounding her.

Steve sighed in relief, burying his face as deep in her neck as possible, holding her shaking figure to his own as he took in her familiar scent. As soon as he got wind that she had awoken and was up and about, he wanted nothing more than to have his arms around her and to never let her go.

"I'm so happy you are alright." He whispered, holding her tighter to him as she continued to sob into his chest in relief.

Minutes passed before Steve finally was able to pry himself away from her, using his sleeves to wipe her face clean as she laughed embarrassed, turning to use her own sleeves to clean what was left. He smiled down at her, caressing her cheek briefly before leaning down to finally pressed his lips to her own. Skylar melted against his lips, her body instantly reacting to him naturally before they pulled apart breathlessly.

"I love you doll." Steve whispered, his eyes continuing to pan across her own, mentally doing a check of her all her injuries.

"I love you too, you big douche." She whispered back through a tear filled laugh before he stood, smiling down at her in adoration.

Realizing they weren't alone, Steve lifted his tired eyes to meet his best friend, a wide smile spilling through as he realized his friends newest addition.

"Buck." Steve breathed as the man approached him with a hesitant smile.

"Still getting used to it. A bit weird but it'll do." Bucky muttered under his breath as he rolled his shoulder.

"It looks great." Steve promised as Buck met his friends smiling eyes.

"Punk." Bucky snorted at his friends too pleased eyes, sending the Captain laughing.

"Jerk."

* * *

They soon left the hanger, Skylar begging Steve to take her to the others, wanting to check in on each and every one of them. Naturally, Steve couldn't tell the woman no, even if he did, he knew she would find her own way to them, like she was famous for doing.

First on their list was Sam, who could be heard shouting loudly from inside the room. Upon hearing his voice, Steve picked up speed, quickly pushing her through the door, stopping at the sight of Sam holding a sheet up in front of him with one hand andwhat they assumed to once be a tray of food with the other. The nurse in charge of him shouting wildly at him from across the room, taking a step to approach him before he began to gesture with the tray, using it as a shield.

"What the hell is going on?" Steve called out flabbergasted as Sam's head shot to the door in relief, immediately running to their side, using Skylar's wheelchair as a wall of protection from the woman who was still huffing and puffing from across the room.

"What kind of place is T'Challa runnin' here?! This lady just started shoving her hands up my shirt, pulling on my pants." Sam shouted in defense, his eyes peeking over the back of her wheelchair as the woman began shouting again.

Hearing her words, realizing that she understood a bit of Wakandian, Skylar snorted, turning in her seat as best as possible to look at Sam.

"Sam, you psycho. She said she was trying to attach a heart monitor to your chest and that your pants were falling. She was trying to help you." Skylar had to bit her lip, forcefully attempting to stop herself from sobbing out in laughter along with Steve.

Slowly Sam stood from his hiding spot, blinking bashfully around the room, unable to meet anyone's eyes.

"Uh….well, she should have said something. Thought she was trying to molest me." Sam mumbled under his breath as he slowly approached the opposite side of his bed, slipping in before lifting his shirt embarrassed. Skylar rolled her eyes at her friend, watching amused as he fought to look anywhere but at the nurse helping him.

"Well, we just came to check in with you but we'll get out of your hair." Skylar winked at her friend, watching his eyes widened, a blush crawling up his face as the still mumbling woman began to do her job once more.

"Wait! Sky, don't leave me!" Sam shouted through a beg as Skylar escorted her way out the door, laughing softly under her breath as she approached the next room easily, knocking on the doorframe as she peeked in to see Scott lounging across the bed, his feet propped up, remote control in his other hand.

"Oh! Ms. Stark." Scott smiled as he instantly sat up.

"Skylar. Calling me Skylar." She begged as he smiled and nodded.

"How are you feeling?" She asked as she felt her two super soldiers slide up beside her.

"I'm fine, totally fine. A little headache and starving beyond belief but either than that, peachy." Scott shrugged nonchalantly.

"T'Challa said food will be delivered as soon as possible, Lang. Hold tight." Steve pulled her wheelchair back out into the hallway as the man nodded, laying back to get comfortable as Bucky shut the door.

"Where did Barton find this guy?" Bucky asked in interest, quipping Skylar's interest as Steve snorted.

"Sam had a run in with Lang when we first moved into the new compound. He tried to break in." Steve explained as Skylar's eyes widened in shock.

"Did he?" Skylar asked amused as Steve chuckled and nodded.

"Gave Sam a run for his money too." Skylar immediately snorted in laughter, shaking her head as she was pushed into another room, where Clint laid, grumbled under his breath as he forcefully allowed the nurses to look him over.

"Can someone please tell them that I am fine?!" Clint threw his hands up in frustration while Sky clapped a hand over her mouth, hiding her smile.

"Just let them do what they have been asked to do Barton." Steve pressed amused as Clint groaned loudly, biting back the curses threatening to overflow before the nurses slowly began to spill from the room.

"Thank god!" Clint threw his hands up again in relief, sitting up and throwing his legs over the edge of the bed, only now realizing Skylar had been in the room too.

"Sky." He breathed in relief, his eyes taking in her battered form before meeting her smile.

"Sup birdboy." She teased as he snorted, pushing himself to stand as he approached her.

"Glad you're up and talking. Cap filled us all in on what happened in Siberia. How you holding up?" Clint immediately leaned down, hugging her tightly to his form as she returned it. Pulling away, he knelt in front of her, gazing up at her with a comforting smile.

"I feel better than I look. Dying for a double-cheeseburger and milkshake but I'll survive." She teased with a shrug as he laughed, patting her knees before standing, turning to face Steve who was smiling at the interaction.

"What's the game play here Cap?" Clint asked as Steve rested his hands on his hips.

"Stay hidden for the time being. Want me to have T'Challa send someone for Laura and the kids?" Steve then offered as Clint sighed, chewing on his thumbnail in thought. Laura was gonna be pissed once she caught wind of all of this. Their home was hidden and unknown to a lot but at the moment, he would feel better with his family here where he could see them.

"Yeah. I'd appreciate that." Clint nodded in agreement as Steve nodded, clapping the man on the back before pushing Skylar out the door.

"I'll set it up with T'Challa. Be ready." T'Challa had instantly agreed to Steve's words and within an hour, Clint had a bird in the air, shooting back to America to retrieve his family.

The last room the visited, Skylar's face slipped as she got a good look at the woman lying in the bed, motionless. Detaching herself from Steve's hold, she wheeled her way closer to Wanda's side, reaching a hand out to hold the woman's ones.

"Out of everyone, I think Wanda had it the hardest at the Ralf Prison. They had a device made and put around her neck, reinforcing her abilities. Took a lot out of her." Steve whispered as Skylar's eyes did a quick scan of the woman's face.

"Tony did this. To all of them." Skylar whispered in anger, her eyes never moving from her friend's features.

"Technically it was the accords that did this. We got the backlash of not agreeing with the terms." Steve reassured her, not wanting her to completely hate her only living relative yet it was taking a lot in him not to hate the man who had attempted to kill her.

"If this is what happens when we don't agree to the Accords, imagine what would happen had we agreed? They locked up her abilities, what would they do to someone like me?" She whispered in thought, the room growing quiet at her words.

"We would never let them take it doll."

"We will protect you."

* * *

 **So, how was it? I really enjoyed writing a lighter tone to this story, it was needed at this point with all the drama. Anyways, I have some ideas of where I want this story to head, but for now, enjoy!**


	18. Chapter 18

**No excuse for my late update this time, aside from I've found myself getting lazier and lazier, no thanks to summer lol**

 **Anyways, we're still on a light note with the story, figured it's had enough hard times as is and is due for as much lightness as possible lmao**

 **Here's the next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters**

* * *

"Mr. and Mrs. Barton have arrived." T'Challa announced to the shared living area where Sam, Sky, Steve, Bucky and Scott sat. Skylar immediately perked up in her wheelchair, her hand making quick work at the joystick of her wheelchair, getting frustrated with the couch as her wheelchair attempted to turn around towards the doorway.

The men chuckled at her frustration and attempt before Bucky and Steve reached over, lifting both her and the chair up and over the couch, effortlessly, startling the woman who had been expecting to fight with the couch a few moments more before she got this far.

"Uh…thanks." She offered unsure, her eyes panning back and forth from both super soldiers than over to Sam who was snickering into his hand. She rolled her eyes at his amusement, rolling forward, purposely aiming for his foot as he shouted out in pain, ripping his foot from under her tire as he bounced on one foot, holding his injured one. Leaning against the nearest wall, he glared down at her as she rolled by, innocently batting her lashes at him as she squeaked on through the doorway and out into the hallway.

"Had that coming Wilson." Scott shrugged innocently as he brushed the dark skinned man.

"Man, shut up tick tack." Sam snapped back, following the group out into the hallway once he gained feeling back in his foot.

"Doll, can I ask you something?" Steve's voice asked from beside her as she turned, looking up as his form keeping up with her.

"Depends on what it is." She narrowed her eyes suspiciously up at him, noticing the light blush crossing his pale cheeks.

"Uh well, it's nothing bad, I'm just curious about somethin' is all." He shrugged, clearing his throat embarrassed as he looked anywhere but her. Skylar narrowed her eyes further, glancing over at Bucky for answers though the man just shrugged, as confused as she was.

"Fine. What is it?" She gave in, turning her attention back to the super soldier to her right who cough into his hand, slipping his hands into his coat pockets, anything to busy his hands.

"Well, you and Barton, you two…you know…..dated right?" Steve asked through a stutter as she snorted, realizing what he was asking.

"Yes we did, if you call that dating, sure." She shrugged, not sure entirely what he was asking about.

"Well, you don't find it…I don't know…..awkward….meeting his family?" Steve looked down at her innocently, so innocent that she was having a hard time fighting the smile on her face from reappearing. Smiling, she shook her head, looking back ahead of her as she continued to roll on.

"What we had, wasn't really dating. We liked each other, to a certain extent and had sex, a lot but that's all it was. We broke it off and continued to be the best of friends. If you're asking if I'm jealous or something, then no, definitely not. I have you, why would I need to be jealous of Barton and his happiness when I have my own?" Skylar didn't beat around the bush, realizing that Steve needed some reassurance that she didn't have some hidden feelings towards Clint or his family.

Meeting her super soldiers blue orbs, she watched him silently analyze her before smiling as he turned away, happy with her answer.

"If anything, I'm more worried she may not like me if she knew about me and birdboy." Skylar confessed with a huff, coming around the corner just as the squeal of children came from the opposite end of the hallway.

"Well, would you look at that?" Sam teased as they all stopped, watching as Clint fought to keep his kids under control while his wife laughed in amusement from behind him, a smaller child nestled in her arms.

"Yeah, not jealous at all. He's got his hands full beyond belief." Skylar teased under her breath, sending Scott and Sam laughing.

"Well, let's not hide away around the corner, let's go say hi!" Scott clapped his hands once, rubbing them together before he slipped past her and towards the family, Steve not far behind with Sam.

"Guess we're gonna meet the family."

"Barton." Steve announced as the group approached the busy family. Laura immediately stopped laughing, turning to smile at the Captain as he nodded at her, leaning over to lightly hug her.

"Thank you for allowing us to come." Laura thanked as Steve carefully pulled away from her with a smile.

"Of course, you're family." Steve nodded as Clint smiled over at the two before noticing that they had an audience.

"Oh guys, meet my family. My wife Laura. This is Cooper, Lila and that little one is Nathaniel." Clint introduced as he finally wrangled his two oldest, the two hiding behind him at the sight of new people.

Skylar smiled as she rolled up beside Sam, waving at Lila who was gazing at her with wide eyes.

"Honey, this is Sam, Bucky, Scott and Skylar." Clint introduced back as the woman smiled, shaking the offered hands of Sam and Scott before nodding down at Skylar who only smiled back.

"Clint has told us so much about the 4 of you. I was quite eager to meet you guys." She confessed as Clint smiled softly at Skylar who sat awkwardly in her seat.

"Hope only good things." Sam teased as he puffed his chest sending Laura laughing with a nod.

"Of course, though I've heard more about you than anyone else." Laura then added as her eyes met a surprised Skylar's. She pointed to herself unsure, her cheeks flaring as she narrowed her eyes playfully at Clint who grinned cheekily.

"That is slightly more embarrassing than I was expecting. I apologize for birdboys broken filter." Skylar immediately defended as Clint broke out laughing at her awkwardness. Skylar tilted her head in confusion, watching as Laura bit her lip, attempting to fight the bubble of laughter crawling up her spine.

"She knows about our history Sky, it's alright. It's cool." Clint confessed as Skylar instantly melted into a puddle of relief, her head hanging back over the backrest of her wheelchair.

"You're lucky your family is standing here, I have a whole list of choice words I'd like to throw your way right now." Skylar spat softly, not wanting to scare the children who continued to stare at her.

* * *

After Skylar small panic attack, everyone congregated into the shared living space that had been labeled as the avenger's private area for their stay. Luckily it was styled similar to the compound as various doors branched off the living space and kitchen that led to various sleeping quarters that were each set up for each of them.

"It was nice of his majesty to let you all stay here and allow us to accompany you." Laura commented from the couch as Nathaniel continued to sleep peacefully against her chest.

"He owes Skylar and Bucky a lot after everything that happened. He said it was the least he could do." Steve explained, briefly looking over at Skylar who was silently sitting by the window, her eyes gazing out at the setting sun.

"If I'm not overstepping my boundaries, is it alright if I whip up some dinner for you all? I feel like I owe you all a lot for everything you do for Clint and my family." Laura bashfully announced as Steve put his hands up along with Scott, both men shaking their heads no.

"No, no, no, you don't owe us anything." Steve quickly explained as Nathaniel was handed to Clint before she stood.

"Oh non-sense, I'll make dinner, you all rest." She wouldn't listen to their rejection of dinner and made her way to the kitchen, easily making herself at home.

"You two are like two peas in a pod." Sam commented softly under his breath as he turned back to Clint with brows raised.

"Yeah, she completes me." Clint commented back shamelessly sending the men laughing before Clint noticed one of his children missing.

"Lila!" Clint called, glancing around before noticing his daughter silently making her way over to Skylar who still hadn't moved from her spot near the window. In that moment, it was like someone had set a gun off in the room, it grew silent, Bucky slowly stood from his seat, unconsciously taking a step towards the unexpected woman before Steve put a hand on his friends arm, shaking his head as they watched what was slowly unfolding.

* * *

Skylar hadn't noticed the awkward silence in the room till she felt a small hand tap her shoulder. Turning her wide eyes over to the small girl beside her, she blinked in surprise, having not heard the small one approach her. Swallowing down her dry throat, she looked over at Clint who was smiling widely at her along with the others. Looking back down to her, she slowly allowed a smile to cross her face before nodding for the child to ask her what she wanted.

"I know you. Are you friends with Aunty Nat?" The little girl tilted her head in curiousness causing Skylar to chuckle and nod, slowly turning her wheelchair to face the little girl.

"She showed me pictures of you and daddy." She added as Skylar blushed, clearing her throat as she glanced over at Laura in the kitchen to see her smiling at the scene.

"Daddy says you're special." She then spoke as Skylar's eyes shot over to Clint in suspicion.

"Did he now? What else did your daddy say about me?" Skylar was growing more and more curious about the little girl.

"Aunty is still healing honey. Maybe she can show…" Clint made to explain Skylar's predicament to the small child before Skylar shook her head, cutting Clint off.

"I can show you something's." Skylar sat forward in her seat with a smile as Lila's smile widened sending Steve smiling at the interaction.

* * *

"Cute huh? So when can we expect little mini super soldiers running around?" Sam teased from his spot, having been watching Steve the entire time, watching as adoration and want crossed the super soldier's features. Hearing his words, Steve blushed 50 shades of red before turning to look at Sam scandalized.

"W-what? We….I…." Steve stuttered over his words, his blush crawling down his neck into his shirt. This alone sent Sam sprawling back on the couch laughing while Bucky covered his mouth, attempting to hide his laughter though it was easily caught by Steve who narrowed his eyes at his friend.

"Shut up." Steve muttered before Bucky scoffed a simple laugh, shaking his head amused.

"Uncle Bucky. Got a nice ring to it." Bucky mumbled proudly sending Sam into another fit of laughter, surprising Steve when he shot up, passing a high five to Bucky who looked only a little awkward at the gesture.

* * *

"You sure Sky? You're still healing, I'd much rather you rest, take care of yourself for a bit." Clint explained in concern as she chuckled, glancing up at Clint amused.

"Seriously Birdboy, this fatherly figure stuff going on right now is just weird." She joked back as he snorted, rolling his eyes sky high.

"I can't help it, I'm just worried." Clint shot back halfheartedly sending Skylar smiling.

"I know and I'm fine, really. Plus, I can't let a fan down." She winked at Lila who held her hands together excitedly, her small body bouncing in expectation.

"Okay, let's see what I can do. How about this?" Skylar's eyes slowly melted into her usual violet orbs before the doll in Lila's arm began to float between the two of them. Lila's eyes widened in astonishment as she squealed, watching as Skylar made her doll dance above them, attempting to copy it.

* * *

Steve turned from his laughing friends and over to the scene playing before him.

Maybe what Sam said wasn't so embarrassing after all? They both loved kids and just this alone was enough proof that Skylar was adored by kids everywhere.

"She's gonna make a good mother one day." Sam whispered suddenly as Steve choked back on a breath, coughing into his hand while Sam fell off the couch laughing once more, Bucky grinned proudly behind him.

* * *

As the day went on, Skylar realized how much she truly adored kids. Their innocence and wild imagination was the purest thing she had ever experienced in life. Lila was just a bundle full of happiness, the smallest tricks sending the curly hair child into a fit of overly excited giggles. Skylar felt like a star in front of the little one. She loved it.

Cooper, it took a bit longer for him to warm up to Skylar. She wasn't sure what it was, but she had noticed the younger fella silently conversing with his father, both men glancing over at her various times through their conversation before Clint patted the boy on the back with a smile.

Not long after that, when Skylar had been showing Lila how she could easily manipulate technology, did the boy suddenly make an appearance, one that surprised Skylar who hadn't been expecting to see him so soon. She smiled warily at the boy, nodding her head to let him know that she wouldn't hurt him before turning back to the pieces of what once was the children's handheld notepad, floating in front of his sister.

"You broke it." Cooper was quick to blame sending Skylar chuckling as she tilted her hand, the pieces freezing in place.

"She didn't Coop, watch!" His little sister defended with an _hmph_ only causing her little brother to roll his eyes unconvinced.

Once Skylar noticed she had Cooper's complete attention, she turned her eyes back to the device, slowly curling her fingers into a fist as the pieces, as if by magnets, shot back into their correct places before dropping perfectly into Lila's lap.

"Woah." Cooper gasped, crawling over to peek over his little sisters shoulder, instantly grabbing the device to look it over and see that it was indeed in one piece and working.

"That's awesome." Cooper whispered under his breath with wide eyes, briefly glancing over his shoulder to see his father nodding proudly in his direction. He turned back to the tablet, nibbling on his lip before peering up at Skylar embarrassed.

"Dad said you could do cool things, things I'd like. I didn't believe him." Cooper confessed, dropping his head ashamed as Skylar smiled, looking over to not only see Clint giving her a thumbs up, but Steve was staring at her with a mixture of adoration and something else, she couldn't quite pinpoint the last emotion before she Lila's hands were in her own again.

"Show us something else!" She begged dramatically, Skylar could get used to this.

* * *

Once Laura finished preparing dinner-thank god too because whatever it was, it smelt like heaven—the kids had to be pried away Skylar and forced to sit at the table. Skylar smiled as Clint dragged Lila towards the table, the small child making grabby hands as Skylar was wheeled behind her.

"She adores you." Steve whispered deeply in her ear as he helped to maneuver her through the living room furniture and towards the table. Upon hearing his deep voice, Skylar couldn't stop the shiver that ran down her spine before she sat forward, peeking over her shoulder at her smiling fiancé.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She covered her flustered emotions perfectly and narrowed her eyes instead.

"Nothing doll, just, kids seem to love you." Steve cleared his throat, averting his eyes to Bucky who looked at him anything but convinced. Steve glared halfheartedly at his friend before turning to pull one of the empty seats out, giving room to Skylar's wheelchair. Once he was sure she was set, he pulled out the seat beside her, making to sit before Bucky beat him to the chase, startling the super soldier who hadn't been expecting Bucky of all people to steal his seat.

Skylar snickered into her hand, realizing that the only other spot around the table was beside Clint on the other side. Glancing up at her fiance, she watched as he blinked a few times at his friend, gaining the assassin's attention.

"What?" Bucky's small voice came out as he adjusted nervously in his seat before Steve turned to Skylar who smiled up at him.

"It's alright babe. Let him sit there. Buck's still not used to other people." Skylar whispered the last part, not wanting to put Laura out. Steve sighed, shutting his eyes in realization before nodding understandingly.

"Alright." Steve answered, leaning down to briefly kiss her forehead before he rounded the table to sit beside the archer.

"You are so whipped." Clint murmured teasingly over to Steve who glared back at him.

"Shut up."

* * *

Skylar about squealed when Laura came back to the table with a large pan of Chicken Mushroom Alfredo Pasta, one of her favorite dishes, by far. Steve and the group were startled by the noise, Buck enough to tense up in his seat for an unseen fight. Blushing, Skylar apologized to the group, reassuring Bucky that she was alright before confessing that she loved pasta.

Laura giggled at the woman's confession, praying that it would taste good enough for the female avenger before instructing everyone to dig in, and did they ever.

Skylar had to thank Bucky numerous times as he was quick to swipe a bowl full of the dish before handing it over to her. Digging in, she practically moaned at the delicious taste, blushing when she realized that she had did it out loud.

"So….how are all of you feeling?" Laura stumbled over her words, having not been in the presence of many of the people sitting at the table. Skylar looked up from her bowl, slurping her seconds before chewing and swallowing. Wiping her mouth, she noticed Sam doing the same.

"Believe me, we feel better than we look. Right Sky?" Sam leaned forward, glancing down the table at her. Skylar met his chocolate orbs before nodding, looking to Laura who smiled.

"And believe me when I say, we've had worse." Skylar teased, gesturing down to her still unmoving arm resting in her sling. Laura in turn, looked like she was unsure if she should smile or not at Skylar's words before she nodded to the woman.

The conversation carried on from there as Laura inquired on everyone's personal lives, going as far as asking Steve and Skylar about plans on their wedding. The two blushed before confessing that they really had no time to plan as of yet, especially with everything that was happening around them.

"Why don't you get married at the farm? You are more than welcomed to if you want. We have this really beautiful barn that Clint spent so much time fixing up, and a lot of land for anything else you might need." Laura rambled on with a smile as Skylar blinked, looking over to Clint who was rubbing the back of his neck, equally embarrassed.

"At your home?" Skylar asked unsure as Laura smiled and nodded.

"Not a lot of people know where our home is and you are more than welcomed to use it for your wedding. It'll be beautiful." Laura cooed as Skylar's eyes shot over to Steve who was still staring at her, lost in his thoughts.

"You can of course think about it, no pressure, but I'll help with anything you need." Laura added, realizing that she had just dumped a big offer into the two without double checking to see if they were interested.

"We'll talk about it later."

* * *

 **If anyone has the time, message me please. I would like some opinions/advice on where to go from here!**


	19. Chapter 19

**I have no excuse for the veryyyyyyyyy long wait in updating aside from Summer being full swing. Working and having to get two kids packed and ready each day for Summer School and Summer PALS is not the bees knees. I've just been overwhelmed with everything happening and with my husband's family reunion next week, my birthday on the 22nd and then my husbands on the 29th, I've been working back to back all awhile doing 24hr mommy care. It's been exhausting.**

 **And to top it all off, I had a HUGE writters block. Like this thing was massive. I stared at my computer on a daily, just staring at it. I wasn't sure if the inspiration for this story had just flopped or I just couldn't come up with anything anymore, but I got a slight inspiration to write today and whipped this quickly up.**

 **I'd realllllllllllllly appreciate it if ANYONE could message me some ideas, anything to keep this story out of it's grave because it's quickly heading in that direction ;_;**

 **Anyways, ENJOY!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters**

* * *

Surprisingly, against all odds, Skylar and Laura grew close in the last week the Barton Family had been hiding out in their Wakandian home. Skylar hadn't expected it, honestly, this woman, she assumed would have some secret vendetta against her seeing as her husband had come clean and told his wife about their previous relationship. Sure, technically it wasn't a really long relationship or anything serious, they basically had sex for months before they cut ties and returned to the best of friends. Just that alone, Skylar thought it would have set Laura off against her, but no, she couldn't be anymore wrong.

Laura wasn't the woman she was expecting. She had been expecting someone who was instantly at her neck, insisting on answers and any revelation of her previous relationship with her husband, even going as far as loudly announcing her territory over Clint. To her surprise, Laura was one of the sweetest people she had ever met, the complete opposite of what she was expecting.

Right after Laura's Italian dinner and their offer to hold their wedding at their farm, they were strangely attached at the hip, something that still surprised their other halves.

On top of all of that, the Barton kids were glued to Skylar whenever the woman was in sight. Clint and Laura were beyond shocked as it usually took Cooper days or even weeks to get used to someone enough to open up to them, but with Skylar, she had miraculously done it in just a few hours.

Now a week later, Skylar sat alone with Laura on one of the various balconies of the compound that overlooked Wakanda's beautiful jungle. Both women had a few muffins and fruits laid out on a small table between them as they silently sat, enjoying the silence and serenity.

"If it's not too much trouble, how did the Captain propose to you?" Laura suddenly asked from beside her as she glanced over surprised at the question before chuckling as she finished chewing her bite.

"Ah, that. Funny story actually." Skylar laughed shortly as she took a sip of her orange juice, taking another look out at the waterfall in the distance.

"First, he took me to Central Park, it's kind of where I first realized Steve liked me more than a co-worker." She teased with a soft smile, momentarily getting lost in her memories before shaking it from her mind.

"Then he surprised me and took me to Coney Island, I'm a serious adrenaline junkie. I love amusement parks." Skylar confessed as she met Laura's smiling eyes.

"Then?" Laura turned to her, a look of giddy excitement crossing the woman's face as she eagerly waited for Skylar to finish, which only sent Skylar snorting in laughter.

"We took a walk on the beach after riding every ride about 100x. We talked and walked, then he stopped and dropped down to a knee right there. Honestly, wasn't expecting it, surprised me more than anything." Skylar blushed at the thought, clearing her throat when she realized Laura was staring at her in amusement.

"Well, it's romantic." Laura cooed with dreamy eyes as Skylar peered over at her to see her smiling widely in her direction.

"I met Steve briefly during the Ultron episode, he seems like a completely different person now." Laura offered as Skylar turned away from the woman, her mood instantly dropping at the reason behind Steve's sudden change in mood.

"I wasn't around for the Ultron episode." Skylar whispered under her breath, getting lost in her thoughts as Laura's smile dropped, instantly realizing she had said something wrong.

"Oh, I'm sorry Skylar. I didn't mean…." Laura turned to her, instantly reaching out as Skylar forced a smile onto her face, shaking her head.

"No, don't worry about it Laura. It's really okay." Skylar promised, knowing she couldn't hold anything against his woman.

* * *

A few days later, T'Challa's medical team deemed Skylar well enough to walk without the help of a wheelchair. She almost broke out dancing at the news, if it hadn't been for Steve whining for her to keep still and take it down a notch. Uncontrollably, she agreed with her super soldier, noticing the way even Bucky was watching her with tense hesitation, waiting for her to fall or something. She felt bad for the guy, he had enough on his plate as is.

That same day, Skylar had also received word on Wanda finally gaining consciousness. That was one time even Steve couldn't stop her from breaking out into a full out sprint across the compound into the medical room she had been kept in for the last 2 weeks. By the time she had arrived in said room, she was out of breath, sweating pools down her back while her recently injured leg, screamed bloody murder at her.

"Sky." A voice called surprised from inside the open room as she lifted her head from her hands pinned to her knees, meeting Clint's amused and surprised expression. Snorting when she knew what he was about to say, she took in a deep breath before pushing herself to stand. Stepping into the room, she opened her mouth to retort to the man only to realize why she had ran on a still healing leg across the compound. Wanda.

"You're okay." A raspy voice spoke from the other side of the room as her eyes whipped over to see Wanda sitting up in her hospital bed, a soft yet painful smile on her face.

"Wanda." Skylar breathed, unable to stop the tears from filling her eyes as she marched across the room, hugging the woman as gently as she could. Wanda chuckled dryly from inside the hug, patting her friends back as best as she could before Skylar slowly pulled away, wiping at her cheeks.

"Oh, don't cry. It's not a good look for you." Wanda teased as Skylar snorted through a wet laugh, playfully whacking her friend's uninjured side.

Skylar informed Wanda of everything had happened in Siberia, finding out that Bucky killed her uncle and Aunt, the group arriving in Wakanda, meeting Laura and the kids for the first time. It was safe to say that Skylar had tons to fill Wanda in on.

"And you two got along?" Wanda asked surprised once she mentioned that both her and Laura had been hanging out together the past week. Skylar looked at her unamused, glancing over at Clint who was smirking from the doorway.

"Supposedly, Birdboy here talks about me a lot, to his wife of all people. You are clearly not the only one that is surprised by this development. I was ready for the woman to come at me with her claws." Skylar explained sarcastically as Wanda smiled softly from her spot against her beds pillows.

"You are so dramatic. Not everyone is out to get you Sky." Clint spoke exasperatedly from the doorway while Wanda nodded in agreement. Skylar rolled her eyes over to meet the man, snorting as she turned sideways in her seat to partially face him.

"You know, it took me 4 weeks to convince Steve that we weren't into each other anymore. I had to confiscate his shield whenever there was a gathering." Skylar explained offhandedly as Clint froze, slightly paling at the new information.

"W-What?" Clint stumbled over his words, blinking viciously while swallowing heavily.

Skylar stared at him blankly, fighting back the laughter that was threatening to explode over.

"Come on Sky. You're scaring him." Wanda, having peeped in on Skylar's head, chuckled from her bed before Skylar broke out laughing, pointing at Clint.

"Come on Sky! That's not funny!" Clint screeched as he began to pull his hair, attempting to reel in his anxiety while Skylar continued to laugh, holding her stomach.

"Oh my god, you should have seen your face. It was classic." Skylar wiped her laughable tears before sighing with a soft smile.

"Oh come on, it was funny. See, even Wanda laughed." Skylar noticed the way Clint was glaring at her from his spot, gesturing over her shoulder at Wanda who was grinning.

"Ms. Stark." A voice suddenly announced into the room, cutting Skylar off mid-laugh as the trio turned to the opened doorway to see one of T'Challa's assistant's standing there, looking at them apologetically.

"I'm sorry for intruding but his majesty has sent me to retrieve you, Ms. Stark." The woman explained Skylar looked to Clint confused, only for the man to shrug.

"Um, alright." Skylar stood, leaning down to rub her sore knee a bit before following after the woman.

"I'll see you guys later." Skylar patted Clint's shoulder as she passed him before disappearing out the door.

* * *

The woman who had been sent to retrieve her, silently led her down hallway after hallway before entering what looked like an office that overlooked the large control room that was set up to keep an eye on Wakanda. Stepping into the room, she was surprised to see both Steve and Bucky already there, turning from their conversation with T'Challa.

"Thank you Ananda." T'Challa thanked the woman who silently bowed before slipping back out the room.

"What's going on?" Skylar asked hesitantly as Steve approached her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder before kissing her temple.

"It's your cousin." Bucky admitted as Skylar shot out of Steve's arm, looking back and forth at the 3 of them for some answers.

"Tony. He knows where we are." Steve explained with a sigh, rubbing his face in frustration.

Skylar was only slightly surprised that her cousin knew exactly where they were. She was honestly surprised it took him this long to find them, especially with all the skills he had at his fingertips. Swallowing back the minor panic set in her bones, she took a deep breath before addressing the situation at hand.

"And? Is he here?" Skylar then asked softly, her eyes seeking out T'Challa who was already staring at her.

"No. He is not but he has sent a message for you." T'Challa stepped back from the backside of his desk, gesturing for her to approach the laptop that laid open on the desktop. Skylar pulled her eyes from T'Challa and over to her fiance, unsure what she should do at this point. Did she care what her cousin had to say to her? No. Not really. Not after everything she was put through in Siberia.

"It'll be alright doll." Steve whispered, caressing her cheek before his hand rested on the back of her neck, pulling her briefly towards him to plant a kiss on her forehead.

Skylar took a deep breath in, looking over at Bucky who was staring blankly at the wall beside him before she slowly approached the desk, her eyes warily seeking out the open laptop to see a video paused and waiting for her.

"Want us to leave?" Steve then asked unsure as he gestured over his shoulder to the open door, T'Challa already making his way to the doorway, obviously having watched the video previously.

"No, it's alright. Stay." She commanded as she hesitantly took a seat in front of the computer, her finger hovering over the enter button in hesitation.

It grew quiet in the room as Skylar silently stared at the screen, psyching herself out for whatever her cousin had to say to her.

"I'll be waiting just outside." T'Challa interrupted the awkward silence as Skylar cleared her throat, realizing she had gotten lost in her head for a second there.

"Thank you, your majesty." Steve thanked the man who smiled at the trio before slipping out the door and into the hallway.

Well, it was safe to say that Skylar did exactly what she had been telling herself to do, she deleted the video, not even giving a second thought at watching or hearing what her cousin wanted to tell her. Steve and Bucky gawked at her as they watched her delete the video before pushing out of T'Challa's seat and into the hallway.

"Did she just delete the video?" Steve asked Bucky in surprise as the silent man nodded, his eyes still planted on the now empty doorway.

"You can't blame her though. Her cousin put her through hell and back in Siberia. She ditched her only family for me." Bucky's voice got quiet at the end as Steve glanced at his friend, a soft smile across his face.

"She did what was right Buck. She knows that. And she'd do it again, I'm positive."

* * *

That night, after T'Challa had hunt Steve down, insisting answers to why Tony's video no longer existed on his computer or any of the compounds hard drives. Steve calmed down the man, explaining that Skylar had saw/heard what she needed to, which she didn't, and decided that it was meant to be erased from reality. T'Challa wasn't the least bit happy about that development but agreed nonetheless and left the couple to sleep for the night.

"Did you not want to know what Tony said?" Steve was perched on the edge of their shared bed, staring at her as she brushed her teeth in the bathroom sink just ahead of him.

Having heard his question, she sighed, spitting out her toothpaste before washing out her mouth and toothbrush. Turning off the water, she reached over for her hand towel, wiping her face dry before tossing it back onto the counter.

"Tony doesn't deserve my attention or forgiveness for that matter." She commented in monotone, shutting off the bathroom light before heading over towards her side of their bed. Steve watched her in concern, turning as she slipped into their bed, crawling under the comforter before sighing as her head hit the pillow.

"I know that's what you're telling yourself baby but…." Steve immediately went into comfort mode, climbing into his side of the bed before Skylar pushed herself up on one elbow, stopping him with a finger to his lips.

"He doesn't deserve 'anything' from me. That is final." Skylar stared hard at him, making sure he understood she was completely serious. Seeing as Steve wasn't about to respond to her words, she slowly slipped her finger from his lips and laid back down, getting comfortable once more.

"But he's family doll." Steve whispered as Skylar groaned out loudly, staring at the ceiling, almost begging it to swallow her.

"You know, he's right." A voice suddenly spoke up from the opposite side of her sending her squealing in surprise, basically throwing herself against a surprised and confused Steve before finding herself falling with a loud thud onto the ground.

"Doll! What's wrong?! What is it?!" Steve shouted in a panic, kicking the comforter off as she rubbed her now tingling elbow only to peek over the bed, ignoring her frantic fiance to see her uncle of all people, smirking from the corner chair in their room.

"Fucking hell." She muttered as she attempted to regulate her heartbeat.

"Doll. Talk to me." Steve begged, grabbing her face, turning her to face him finally. That's when she noticed the frantic way he was staring at her, the paleness in his face and the tense way he was now kneeling beside her.

"Didn't mean to scare you, but I thought I'd stop in." Uncle Howard's voice spoke as she sighed, shutting her eyes briefly before lifting a hand to rest on Steve's.

"It's alright Steve. I'm fine. Startled is all." She excused, opening her eyes to now see that he was staring at her confused.

"Uncle Howard just showed up, out of nowhere, might I add." She hissed halfheartedly at her uncle as Steve glanced over his shoulder, expecting to see him but coming up empty handed.

"Howard Stark?" Steve asked unsure as she scoffed out a short snicker before nodding.

"He's sitting in that corner chair. Seems like he wanted to stop in for something." She pushed herself off the ground, adjusting her sleeping attire before glaring over at her uncle that only snorted at her expression, turning to see Steve blankly staring into the corner.

"What….." Steve began to question her sanity for a moment before realizing that there was probably a 99% chance she was telling the truth.

"Cap hasn't aged a year since I last saw him. Quite unfair if you ask me." Howard commented as Skylar rolled her eyes, looking to see Steve looking at her expectantly.

"He said you haven't aged a year and he feels he got the short end of that straw." Skylar teased as a bright smile crossed Steve's face.

"Yeah well, Howard got to live his life, family and all. I'm quite jealous of that." Steve added back as Skylar glanced over at her uncle to see the man smiling.

"Anyways, I don't want to keep you from much needed sleep, so I'll be quick." Skylar patted Steve's shoulder before walking around their bed, standing before her uncle while Steve took a seat on his side of the bed, watching silently as his fiancé stood alone in the corner of the room.

"What is it?" She asked, now completely serious.

"It's about what happened in Siberia, between you and Tony." Howard started as Skylar groaned, covering her face.

"Not you too. I'm not gonna forgive him uncle, I don't care that he's family. He almost killed me." She wildly gestured at herself, showing the various healing scars and bruises that still littered her body.

"Skylar, I'm not asking for you to forgive him, I'm asking you to see things from his point of view." Howard's next words startled her out of her rant, gaping at the man for a moment.

"I don't blame James, for none of it and neither does your aunt. What happened was an unfortunate situation that was led on by evil people that used him to get to us. But when you see it from Tony's point of view, he never got to right the wrongs he did before we passed. And then to find out that your best friends, best friend was the cause of it all, how would you have reacted when your only living blood relative took the side of your parent's murder?" Howard continued to go on as Skylar dropped her eyes down to the rug under her feet.

"You don't have to forgive him at this very minute, but at least think it over. You both need each other, no matter how stubborn you both are. You're family and family has to stick together, especially in this world." Uncle Howard's words were cryptic to her as she met his aged eyes before he slowly disappeared from sight. Skylar stared at the seat her uncle had been sitting in before sighing as she turned back her bed, crawling in and pulling the comforter up to her chin.

"Is everything alright? Did he leave?" Steve hesitantly reached out to her, wrapping one arm around her waist to pull her to him. But he was hesitant, not wanting to spoon Howard's niece in front of him.

Skylar sighed for the millionth time before turning to bury her face into his chest, a silent confirmation that her uncle was no longer with them.

"He wants me to forgive Tony. Says Tony needs me as much as I need him." She muttered against his chest as Steve brushed a hand through her tousled platinum hair.

"And what do you think?" Steve inquired as Skylar pulled away from him, rolling back onto her back to stare at the ceiling.

"I'll think about it."

* * *

It was the middle of the night, most of the compound had retired to their various living quarters to rest for the new day. Steve and Skylar had fallen asleep not long after Howards visit while Bucky was set up in a separate room that was conjoined to the pairs. Neither one of them thought it was a good idea to sleep any further from the former assassin.

Skylar grunted and groaned through her sleep, tossing only slightly, not bothering the super soldier who was usually a light sleeper, beside her.

That's when she woke, or so she thought.

Her eyes shot open to a familiar ceiling, one she remembers staring at for countless moments the night before, considering forgiving her cousin, even just a little. Sighing out, she sat up, shutting her eyes as she put a hand through her hair. She felt like she had a nightmare the night before, her heart was almost pounding out of her chest, her hands were clammy and she felt sick to her stomach. But she couldn't remember what she had dreamed about the night before, only talking to her uncle before she passed out in Steve's arms.

Steve.

She glanced over to his side of the bed, noticing it was empty and untouched, she blinked in confusion, knowing that he had fallen asleep beside her just a few hours prior.

"Steve?" She called out, tossing the blankets from her legs before standing, slowly trotting over to their room door that led to their shared living room with Bucky and Sam. Pulling the door slowly open, she peeked out to see the dim darkness of the early morning and an empty living room. Slowly stepping out, her bare feet padded across the tile floor towards the kitchen and dining room that also laid empty to any inhabitant.

"Maybe he's with Bucky or Sam." She whispered to herself, approaching both doors to find them empty. Spinning in her spot, she faced the empty living area once more, noticing the entryway to their quarters, cracked open to the hallway that led into the compound. Tilting her head, she hesitantly approached the opened door and peeked out, expecting to see T'Challa's usual guards patrolling the hallways like they did every 10 minutes. She was surprised to find that she couldn't hear or see anyone.

"You're alone." An eerie voice whispered from behind her, sending her spinning in terror, her eyes widening as she took in the person standing at the other end of the living quarters.

"No." She whispered in denial and panic, shaking her head as she placed a hand over her agape mouth.

"Dit you really zink it vas zat easy to get rit of me? You really underestimated my ability." The man slithered along the darkness, one that Skylar had only now realized ressembled the dimension of the dead, way to perfectly.

"Now, tell me, how is your kousin?"


	20. Chapter 20

**Oh my god! Why does life have to be so busy?!**

 **I'm sooooooooooooooooooooo fricken sorry about the long overdue update ;_; seriously, I think life, work and family all have a secret vendetta out for me!**

 **Thankfully, I had free time today (it's my birthday! whoop whoop!) and I whipped this up quickly for you all. Hope you'll still enjoy it, we're getting back into the action plot again, yey!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or it's characters**

 **A/N: If you could comment/review just so I know how many readers I still have (if any) I've been plotting out another story (BuckyxOC) And would love to share the first chapter with you all to get your intake on it.**

* * *

She had never felt such fear shoot through her at that speed in such a long time. It felt like her heart had frozen over, the air from her lungs viciously ripped from her as she shot out of bed, her skin pale and dripping sweat. Skylar's eyes shot around the room as she gasped for air like she had been suffocating, an arm gently grasping her own, startled her heart into another marathon as she sprung from the bed and across the room in a blink of an eye.

"Doll." A voice whispered in hesitation and concern before the bright lights on the ceiling shot on causing her to shut her eyes tightly, protecting them. Lifting her shaky hands to her eyes, she slowly peeled them open to see Steve sitting almost tensely on the ledge of their bed, his legs set to run at any second.

"Please doll." He begged desperately this time, his eyes shining with pain and concern as she pulled her knees to her chest, taking in a shaky breath.

"Sky." He whispered once more when he didn't get an answer from the still silent woman.

"Zola…he's alive." Her raspy voice fluttered through the room, startling Steve who hadn't expected those choice words to leave her lips.

"What?" He asked, hesitantly standing and approaching her figure still sitting on the floor before him. Kneeling down at her height, he brushed some hair from her face with a relieved sigh before her head shot up, eyes wide. Steve froze at the look he was met with, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Doll…." He made to reassure her that she was okay before she shot off the ground like a bolt of lightning and charged towards the door, almost ripping it off its hinges.

"SKY!" Steve shouted after him, running after her in only his sleep pants, making it to the room door in time to see her running out of their living quarter's door. Growling under his breath, he ripped his and her robe off the back of the door before rushing after her.

"Steve? Something wrong?"

"What's going on? Where'd Sky go?" Two voices caught Steve off guard as he glanced over to see that his yelling had woken both Bucky and Sam shortly followed by Clint who was peeking out of the last door half awake.

"No idea. She woke up from another nightmare and charged out of the room before I could ask." Steve's heart was thumping loudly in his chest cavity, not waiting to see the look of panic, concern and helplessness on the 3 men's faces before he raced out of the room to find his fiancé.

* * *

Something was wrong.

Skylar could feel it in her bones as she ran towards what she remembered to be T'Challa's office from earlier in the day.

Her leg was killing her but her pain be damned, she knew something was happening back in New York.

Tony was in trouble.

Skidding around the turn, almost completely barreling through a pair of T'Challa's guards, she apologized profusely in Wakandian before pushing past them and continuing her trek down the hallway. Naturally, T'Challa was immediately informed on the woman's crazed appearance.

She barged through his office door seconds later, huffing and puffing as she pulled his chair out, sitting down at his shut off computer.

"Doll." Steve's voice startled her as she impatiently waited for the computer to boot up.

"I'm sorry I ran out but something is wrong." She immediately explained as the screen shot on, a password window popping up sending her cursing under her breath.

"Sorry T'Challa." She muttered under her breath, not having the time or patience to wait for the man to show up, which she knew would be any minute now.

Eyes glowing violet, she easily dove into the tech of the computer, bypassing the password firewall without any trouble before her hazels glanced up at Steve's confused and hesitant face, still standing feet from her.

"I'm alright Steve. But, I had a dream." She whispered, quickly pulling up a blank screen to begin hacking into Stark Tower from T'Challa's computer.

"Excuse me?! What are you doing in my office at this hour?!" T'Challa came charging in, having been rudely awoken in the middle of the night to his guards explaining what they had seen. Imagine his surprise when they found said woman in his office, hacking through his computer.

"I apologize T'Challa but this is an emergency that couldn't wait." Skylar didn't even make eye contact with the man as she continued to put code after code in, slowly bypassing all of F.R.I.D. security and firewalls.

"How in the world did you….." T'Challa had made it quickly to her side to see that she had made it into his locked computer, side eying Steve who shrugged, not knowing what was going on just as Clint, Sam and Bucky came barreling into the room, almost taking out the pair of guards that had followed T'Challa in.

"What's happening?"

"What did we miss?" Sam and Clint immediately asked out of breath, having no idea where the duo had run off and spent the last few minutes running in circles before finally hearing T'Challa's booming voice from down the hallway.

"Something's happening in New York. Specifically at the Avenger Compound." Skylar admitted seriously, her eyes scanning back and forth across the screen as she continued to type in various letters, numbers and symbols easily accessing the Avenger's compound within seconds.

"I had a nightmare, Zola is still alive." Skylar glanced up above the computer screen briefly at the 4 men, showing them the red rings around her eyes from her tears along with the sweat that coated her half-dressed form.

Bucky stiffened at the mention of the man's name, having been informed of what went down in New York with Zola and Skylar's uncle. Bad enough he had come back from the dead but finding out that he was still floating around somewhere, angered him beyond words.

"Zola?" T'Challa asked unsure as Skylar continued to go through the computer.

"He's a German scientist that abducted Bucky back in the 40s and turned him into who he is. He's also the man that is responsible for who HYDRA is today." Steve explained under his breath, eyeing Bucky warily from across the room.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y has been offline for 8 hours." Skylar froze behind the desk, shocking the 4 men who turned to her with wide eyes.

"Cameras, phone lines, heat sensors, everything is down and has been. I can't get in touch with anyone there." Skylar shot out of her seat, ignoring the fact that she had only a small sleep dress on as Steve marched over, immediately wrapping her in her own robe.

"T'Challa, I need a jet, something fast. I need to leave immediately." Skylar stared at T'Challa who instead looked to Steve for any confirmation on his fiancés command.

"Doll, let's wait till morning. You haven't slept through the night in days." Steve whispered down at her, reaching out to caress her cheek only for her to scoff, slapping his hand away.

"Because I slept for a week straight before that. I know why you are hesitant to go and I understand but I'm not going to leave my cousin alone like this. I _know_ something is wrong." She looked at him desperately, wanting him to understand where she was coming from.

"I'll go with her." Bucky's voice didn't surprise Steve who only sighed in defeat, glancing over at his friend who had taken a step towards them. Bucky had become Skylar's unofficial bodyguard since they had pulled him from the government's confinements so Steve knew without a doubt that Bucky would go wherever Skylar was.

"Me too. We may be split but we're still a team. A family." Clint cleared his throat, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he spoke.

"Yeah, what does that blue alien on that Disney movie say? Ohana means family, family means no one gets left behind." Sam chuckled lightly as Skylar smiled softly at her friends words before turning to see Steve glanced down at her adoringly.

"Well you know I can't argue with you when you have these 3 in your corner. We're gonna need a jet T'Challa." Steve smiled softly, kissing her forehead lightly before looking over at T'Challa who nodded with no hesitation.

* * *

"I'm flying." Skylar beat Clint to the punch as she marched up at the jets ramp, not stopping until she was sitting in the captain's seat, already going over the checklist in front of her. Clint gaped at her, looking around the cockpit confused and unsure what to do with himself just as Steve passed him with a pat on his shoulder.

"Don't mess with a woman on a mission, Barton." Steve chuckled under his breath, patting him once more before approaching the back of said woman's chair.

"I don't know what to do with myself." Barton confessed softly as Sam laughed from behind him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder before ushering the man towards the passenger seats.

"Come sit with us commoners." Sam teased as Barton snorted, sitting in his own row while buckling his seatbelt.

"We will attempt to keep in contact for as long as possible. If you are in need of any assistance, please do not hesitate to call." T'Challa's voice rang through the cockpit along with the earpiece Skylar had slipped in prior to boarding the jet.

"Thank you, your majesty. We are ready for takeoff." Skylar informed, glancing over at Steve who took co-pilot seat, glancing over his shoulder to make sure everyone was buckled in.

* * *

15 minutes later….

"Any update?" Clint called from the back as Skylar sighed, briefly massaging the bridge of her nose before shaking her head.

"Nothing. I can't get in touch with anyone, not even F.R.I.D.A.Y. She's completely off-line." Skylar mumbled in defeat, allowing the auto-pilot to do its stuff while she was busy attempting to hack into anything else in the compound.

"You think with all the tech at his hands, Stark would have things to prevent this sort of stuff." Sam offhandedly muttered as Skylar sat back in her seat, staring at the screen in front of her in thought.

"Relax sweetheart. We'll get there and figure it out. Maybe nothing's wrong and Stark just short-circuited the entire building. He's known to do that." Steve immediately noticed the way Skylar was slowly stressing herself out and decided to attempt to lighten the mood even just a bit.

"He wouldn't short-circuit the compound enough to throw F.R.I.D.A.Y offline. The only way F.R.I.D.A.Y can completely go offline is with an access code that only Tony knows. It's a safety precaution he made after the Ultron incident." Skylar explained seriously as she waved one of her hand's absentmindedly before nibbling on the tip of her thumb in thought.

"And with all those 'eco-friendly' generators he put in, even if the electricity went out globally, he could power all of New York for about a month." Clint snorted at his own comment, realizing it was completely true no matter how ridiculous it sounded.

"What did Zola say about Tony?" Steve then asked the burning question that was on everyone's minds since she had announcing encountering Zola in her dreams once more. Skylar glanced over at her fiancé, the life completely drained from her eyes as she sighed, rubbing her face viciously to wake herself up.

"He insisted poking me at the fact that we thought we could get rid of him so easily. Supposedly we underestimated him, how the fuck do you underestimate a ghost?" She muttered the last part under her breath as she glanced back out the large windshield.

"Language baby." Steve scolded lightly as she glared over at him, immediately shutting his jaw for the time being.

"Then he asked 'so tell me, how's your cousin?' Now, if I have another cousin I don't know about, please let me know because the only living relative I have is Tony, unfortunately." Skylar turned her seat to face the rest, looking at each and every one of them desperately.

"Maybe it's a trap. Maybe he's trying to get you out of Wakanda?" Sam offered as Skylar looked to him in thought.

"But what would he gain that way? There's nothing in Wakanda for him. He would need Skylar for anything." Clint added back as Sam looked up in thought before nodding slowly in agreement.

Skylar continued to chew on her thumb before a specific person suddenly popped into her mind.

"Happy." She whispered in realization, her eyes widening as she spun back to the computer, quickly shoving the earpiece into her ear.

"Who?" Steve quickly asked, having not caught the name that left her lips in a breath.

"Happy. He wouldn't be at the compound but he would know where Tony is." She quickly dialed a number into the computer, tapping a button on her earpiece to activate the mic sitting against her cheek.

"Go for Happy." Happy's familiar voice echoed through the entire jet as Skylar sighed in relief.

"Happy. Oh my god, it's soo good to hear your voice." Skylar sighed once more, quickly tapping into his phone to see that he was ironically on his way towards the compound.

"Yes. Who is this?" Happy answered hesitantly before questioning her.

"Happy, it's me Skylar. Do you know where Tony is this minute?" Skylar bluntly asked impatiently.

"Ms. Stark? What….How….where…." Happy began to tumble over his words as she groaned, rubbing her forehead frustrated.

"Happy. No time for questions. Where is Tony? It's an emergency." Skylar quickly cut him off, not having the time or patience to answer his bluster of questions.

"Tony? He's at the compound. Why? What's the emergency? Where are you calling from?" Happy asked confused as she groaned.

"Happy, I'm trying to be very patient right now but you are walking on thin ice here. Tony is in trouble. Listen before you ask. I need you to stop the car where you are right now. Don't go any further." Skylar slid closer to the console, watching a satellite view of Happy doing as she told.

"Are you here? Can you see me from where you are?" Happy then asked as it showed him peeking out of one of the car windows.

"Happy, I'm a Stark. What do you think?" She deadpanned as she typed in a few times, tapping into the car's dash camera which startled Happy when he heard it buzz before maneuvering back and forth.

"Now, the compound is offline. Everything is offline. Can you call into the compound from the car?" Skylar then asked as she used the dash cam to zoom in on the compound in the distance to see that everything was black.

"No. Nothing is connecting. What's going on? Should I call someone?" Happy was now beginning to panic as Skylar glanced over at Steve who had taken the wheel at flying, holding up 5 fingers as she turned back to the computer.

"No. We'll be there in 5. For the time being, I need you to be my eyes on the ground, we're not sure who or what is there." Skylar offered feeling someone slide up beside, briefly side eying to see that the 3 men that had been sitting silently in the back had slide beside her.

"Okay. I can do that. Should I get out?" Happy made to unlock the door and push it open as Skylar growled, hacking the cars mechanism immediately to shut it and lock him in.

"No. Stay in the car. I've activated the car's cloaking system so no one should be able to detect you." Skylar typed away as Happy grumbled under his breath about her being 'a little too smart for her own good.'

"I heard that I am slightly offended that you think I'm only 'a little' too smart." Skylar offered back emotionlessly as she dragged a virtual blueprint of the acres surrounding the compound. She quickly pointing to a specific spot, making sure Steve caught her hint as he nodded, turning the jet into that direction.

"I didn't mean it….." Happy immediately went to defend himself and apologize.

"No time. We'll be flying in and landing west of you, just over the mountain ridge. I need you to keep me informed of any movement or changes in the meantime." Skylar instructed her cousin's wingman while Steve gently and silently landed the jet exactly where she had instructed him to.

"Yes ma'am." Happy answered with a mock salute.

"So, what's the plan Cap?" Sam was quick to ask as the ramp slowly slid open.

"Doll?" Cap offered, looking over at Skylar who was situating a pair of guns to the thigh holsters. Skylar glanced over when Steve addressed her and stared at him in surprise.

"This is your mission. You're the Cap on this." Steve teased with a proud grin as she stood, adjusting her leather suit.

"Seriously?" Skylar asked in shock as Steve nodded, pulling her briefly into his side.

"Ooh, stepping up to the big boys." Clint teased as she snorted, kicking him in his butt lightly.

"Okay then. We're separating. Sam, I need you in the skies. Do one lap for anything out of the ordinary then come in from the roof. Clint and Steve, go in from the delivery entrance. Me and Buck will go from the west entrance. Happy will be our eyes and ears on the outside."

* * *

 **There it is, hope it was alright for you all.**

 **Now, for the readers I still have (god bless you) review/comment so I know you are still there 3**


	21. Chapter 21

**I'm so sorry for the long wait for this chapter!**

 **Life has not been kind to me as of late. I had my husband's birthday weekend at the end of July, which we stayed at a hotel for on the other side of the island. Fast forward to the following week, I somehow contracted strep throat, that seriously hurt like a bitch! I don't wish that kind of pain on anyone! So, I was out of work for a week on some crazy antibiotics that pretty much put me to sleep whenever I took them. And then once I healed, my two kids started school and let me tell you, this new bus system that the DOE chose, can go straight to hell. They are a nightmare. I now go days not knowing if my kids will be picked up at the bus stop at all so I've had to adjust my work schedule so I have the time to wait with them at the bus stop in case the bus doesn't show up ;_;**

 **Then to top this all off, I start my second job this coming Monday and I'm both nervous and excited. I won't have much free time from now on but hey, I'll have the extra money needed.**

 **Ugh, I don't look forward to adulting lol**

 **Anyways, onto more exciting things. Here is the next chapter in my series. I'm praying I get the next chapter up in a manageable time, hopefully. If not, be patient with me.**

 **Thank you guys for sticking with me.**

 **Disclaimer : I do not own Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

"It's all clear from up here." Sam's voice buzzed through their com links as Skylar glanced up to see him flying once more about the compound.

"Nothing on the heat sensor?" Clint then asked as Skylar nudged her head to the right, informing Bucky that the west entrance was just to the right of them.

"Nothing. Out of everything that is offline, Stark's specialized cloaking device on the compound is still up and running. We're running in blind." Sam explained, huffing as he landed silently on the roof top.

"Keep your eyes and ears open for anything out of the ordinary. Call out anything you see." Cap instructed the team who only nodded.

"I'm entering from the roof now, see you all on the inside." Sam pressed as he used the code Skylar had given him for the roof door.

"Now, explain to me, if everything is offline inside, why do we still have to put in the passcodes for the doors?" Sam muttered under his breath frustrated as he pulled the door open as silently as possible.

"Just stick to the plan and get inside." Cap scolded lightly as Skylar and Buck approached the lone door to the west of the building.

"We're at the west entrance now." Buck informed the group, his gun up at the ready as Skylar let her gun hang at her side before she approached the panel on the wall just beside the door.

"Buck keep a close eye on Skylar. Don't let her go anywhere alone." Cap instructed Buck who had already been planning to do just that causing Skylar to huff in irritation, making to bark something back at the man only for Buck to interrupt her.

"Was already planning on that." Buck let the corner of his lips quirk just slightly at the annoyance that flashed through Skylar's eyes before she snapped back to the panel, easily breaking in without alarm.

"Hurry up." She hissed under her breath as she pulled her gun up at the ready, stepping into the dark building.

"We're in." She whispered as her eyes flashed around in suspicion.

"We're in." Clint answered back as Buck kept close to Skylar's side, his eyes darting around for any movement.

"Happy? You there?" Skylar whispered as she planted her back against the nearest wall, gesturing for Bucky to dart across the hall.

"Yes. I'm here." Happy's voice answered quickly as she peeked around the corner into the dark hallway that led to a stairwell and sitting area.

"I need you to do me a favor. Tony's car, it has a tracking device that is connected to Tony's cell phone, am I right?" Skylar inwardly kicked herself, having not thought of this prior to them breaking in while Bucky glanced across the hallway at her with a perked brow.

"You couldn't do that before we got in here?" Clint hissed in shocked as she snorted, hitting her head momentarily on the wall.

"Would you get the hell off the lines and shut your mouth?" She hissed back, nudging her head to inform Bucky to follow her as he did.

"You want me to see if I can track Tony's location?" Happy asked in realization as she peeked into the dark sitting room to see that it was empty.

"That's the plan. Let me know what you find."

"Is it me or does this all feel a bit off?" Clint muttered over to Steve who was slinking down the hallway, a gun in one hand, his shield up in his other.

"It's too quiet." Clint pressed with his bow at the ready.

"So, I don't wanna piss on anyone's parade here but what do we do when we run into one of those spirit things? I mean, I don't think a gun gonna help anyone." Sam commented as he slowly made his way down the hallway of the top floor, going to meet up with Steve and Clint.

"Keep your eyes open guys." Steve shook off the nerves slowly climbing up his spine.

Clint and Sam were right.

* * *

Skylar and Buck ignored the conversation happening in their ears as they slunk deeper into the compound, sneaking around corners, checking every room they came across before coming upon a familiar room.

"It's Tony's security room." Skylar whispered to Buck as she gestured towards a closed door at the end of the hallway.

Bucky looked at her in hesitation before nodding, leading her down the hallway with his gun up at the ready as they approached the door.

Getting close enough, Skylar realized that the door was ajar slightly, a light now being seen shining from the crack in the door.

"Stay behind me." Bucky grabbed her arm lightly, pulling her behind him and out of danger as he pulled his gun up again, slowly approaching the door.

* * *

"I don't want to be a downer or anything but did you think it was smart to send Sky with your friend." Clint softly commented as they intently searched each room they walked past while Steve glared briefly at the archer.

"I trust Buck, especially with Sky. He would protect her with his life." Steve defended gently, adjusting his shield.

"I'm not worried about him protecting her but the fact that those two, losing control of their minds at the same time, probably not the best idea." Clint shook his head as Steve froze, glancing over at Clint in realization before sighing out, trying to shake his mind clear of distrust.

"They will be fine."

* * *

"Empty." Bucky commented as they stepped into the seemingly empty security room where camera feed of the compound continued to play in front of them.

"Strange. Figured this would be the first place these people would bunker down." Skylar muttered under her breath as she approached the computer screens, glancing at each one.

"We're in the security office, I have sight on each of you." Skylar informed the rest of the team as she took to the security computer, typing a few codes, noticing a few cameras were no longer working.

"Anything out of the norm doll?" Steve asked as she peered over at the camera following him and Clint through a hallway.

"Yeah, a few cameras downstairs are off line." She answered, intently staring at the screen that she was trying to hack into Friday through.

"I'm attempting to bring F.R.I.D.A.Y back online now." Tony's security screen for F.R.I.D.A.Y popped onto the screen as she typed in a paragraph of codes and commands before pressing enter as the lights above them flickered on and off for a moment.

"What's happening?" Sam asked hesitantly from his spot as the lights in the whole building buzzed back online.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y is rebooting herself right now. She should be back online completely in 10 minutes." Skylar explained as she typed in a few commands into F.R.I.D.A.Y's hard drive before Happy's voice startled her from her concentration.

"Uh, we may not have 10 mins. Ms. Stark, there are 4 Humvees pulling up into the rear entrance to the compound. What should I do?" Happy was panicking, that was obvious as Skylar turned to face Bucky who had a dark look in his eyes.

"Sky, get out of there, let's rendezvous in the living quarters on the 2nd floor." Steve instantly jumped into a sprint with Clint close behind him.

"Happy, just keep low and keep us informed. Don't move." Skylar nodded to Bucky who nodded back, escorting her out of the security room and towards the stairwell that would send them up to the second floor of the building.

Regroup, plan and then attack, that was a very good way at going at whoever was responsible here, but honestly, why did she think it was going to be that easy?

As they rounded the corner to the staircase, she should have seen it coming, but she didn't. A large part of the railing that had once been part of the staircase came flying down in the darkness at the two. Bucky heard it too late and Skylar had been busy speaking to Happy as the large metal piece came barreling at her, hitting her head-on and throwing her to the ground.

Groaning in pain as her body came to a halt just near the entrance foyer, she glanced over to see one of the railing pieces now embedded through Bucky's stomach, his unresponsive body now lying 20 feet from her.

"We….we got trouble." She wheezed as she slowly pushed herself to sit up, wincing as her arm shot up to hold her side, broken ribs, great.

"Sky! Doll! Ms. Stark!" Happy, Steve, Sam and Clint shouted through the lines before they fizzed and popped causing Skylar to rip the earbud from her ear, tossing the now smoking device to the floor.

"Well, well, well, it seems I get to meet my competition earlier than expected." A female voice spoke through the now spinning room as Skylar's eyes whipped around as quickly as possible.

"Who are you?" Skylar demanded, her hard stare glancing over as an unfamiliar woman came trotting down the stairs, knives being easily juggled through the air in front of her.

Skylar's eyes widened the familiar blue aura surrounding the knives, easy to pinpoint as the woman chuckled, glancing over at Bucky briefly.

"You're…..you're an enhanced." Skylar barked out, attempting to distract the woman from Bucky while Skylar used the wall to pull herself to stand.

"Hm, well, you're not blind, I'll give you that." The woman chuckled, twisting her wrists as the knives stopped their dance, half of them floating to face her, the other half now facing Bucky. Skylar opened her mouth to bark at the woman again, only for yelling and loud thuds of fighting on the floor above them, startled her as her eyes widened.

"Steve." She whispered in worry under her breath before the woman snorted.

"What he sees in you, I'll never know but that man is too hot for his own good." The woman clicked her tongue causing Skylar to growl.

"Don't worry, he's not my type. I rather prefer the tall, dark and handsome, if you catch my drift." The woman made to peer over at Bucky once more to prove her point as Skylar took a threatening step towards her only for the woman to send a pair of knives flying at Skylar without warning. Skylar easily dodged one that was aimed a little higher than needed before the other one lodged itself in her thigh, sending her screaming as she fell over in pain.

"Tch. Always trying to be the hero." The woman grumbled under her breath before scoffing as Skylar groaned, rolling onto her side to face the woman.

"Now, before I forget, I've been sent with a message from someone you might know." The woman smirked as she slowly approached Skylar's withering frame.

"I don't know anyone associated with a psychotic bitch like you." Skylar rasped out, glaring at the woman as she gripped her thigh, afraid to take the blade out.

"Psychotic bitch? Like I haven't heard that one before." The woman continued her approach, rolling her eyes as she did.

"Vladimir Mikhailov sends his regards." The woman squatted in front of a bleeding Skylar who stared at her like she grew a second head.

"Okay, I don't know if it matters to you but that name isn't ringing any bells." Skylar slurred as her vision blurred.

"He said you would say that which brings me onto my next matter at hand, he's responsible for creating you." The woman smirked as realization slowly began to dawn on Skylar as memories from her time with HYDRA flooded her brain, many she hadn't remembered prior.

"I'm assuming you know who I'm talking about now." The woman smirked, slowly pushing herself to stand as her knives continued to stay pointed at both her and Bucky.

"Technically, in some twisted way, that would make us sisters. We have the same creator." The woman proudly added as Skylar inhaled deeply, slowly pushing herself onto her hands and knees, her eyes meeting the wound in her thigh.

"I am in no way and will ever be related to anything like you." Skylar seethed as the woman spun to face the now kneeling woman.

"I remember meeting you once, in Germany. You were always so high strung." The woman spat as Skylar side eyed Bucky who still had yet to move.

"Now, before I cut your tongue out and feed it to you, he wanted me to let you know that you will never fully be free of him. He will always be in control, no matter how far you run, no matter how hard you try to hide, that other part of you will always belong to him." She smirked down at her as Skylar finally pulled herself to stand on shaky legs.

"And now, you're cousin will too." That was the last straw as the woman sent a hoard of knives flying towards Skylar while a trio of them shot off towards Bucky. Using whatever energy she could whip up, she threw up a force field around Bucky before allowing her other hand to shoot-out towards the knives flying at her. They froze in midair as Skylar immediately glanced over to see the woman in a defensive stance. She obviously knew what Skylar was capable of.

"Did you think I'd cower away?" The woman teased with a proud glint as Skylar dropped the knives at her feet, glaring hard at the woman.

"Wouldn't be fun if you did. I don't particularly enjoy fighting the weak." Skylar spat back, watching the way the woman's jaw twitched ever so slightly before she launched herself at Skylar.

Skylar had been expecting it, her eyes flashing violet as she met the woman's teal ones. The still unknown woman didn't have time to react as she suddenly screeched, freezing in place as Skylar invaded her mind, feeding her any traumatizing memory she could find. The woman's body dropped to the ground with a retched scream, her body convulsing under the memories.

"I don't care who sent you. I don't care for what they have to say to me. I don't care who they claim to be. You hurt my family, my friends and for that I'm going to enjoy killing you, slowly." It was a darker side to Skylar that she rarely let out as Bucky slowly woke up to screaming, glancing over in time to see Skylar shoot an unimaginable amount of electricity down at the twitching woman. Like a puff of smoke, it was done. Once the smoke cleared as Bucky opened his eyes completely, all that was left was the burned body of an unknown woman before Skylar groaned, holding her head before collapsing.

"Sky!" He shouted, ignoring the large pipe in his stomach and ran to the woman who was tiredly blinking at the ceiling.

"Doll. Stay with me. Don't shut your eyes." Bucky pressed as he accessed the damage on her form, hissing when he saw the large knife still embedded in her thigh.

"Steve, Sam, Clint…." She whispered through blood stained teeth as Bucky ignored her, ripping a piece of his sleeve off, ripping the knife from her leg as she screamed. Pushing forward with no hesitation, he immediately wrapped the wound, putting as much pressure on it as possible.

"Buck!" A voice shouted to the left of him as his eyes snapped in that direction, his body tense to fight. Relaxing slightly when he recognized the group running at him, he went back to assisting a still bleeding Sky.

"Ewww, what the fuck is that?" Sam wrenched away from the corpse in the middle of the room, Clint looking at it warily.

"Enhanced. Attacked us. Sky took care of it." Buck muttered under his breath as he tied the end of his ripped top, glancing at her when she moaned in pain.

"Doll!" Steve shouted, running over towards them, sliding up beside Skylar, his eyes already watering.

"Oh, don't look at me like that. Come on, you've seen me in worst conditions." Skylar attempted to lighten the mood as she stared up at her clearly unamused fiancé.

"What the hell happened?" Buck immediately interrogated the man kneeling beside him as he kept a tight hold on Skylar's thigh.

"Another enhanced, assume like this one." Clint answered for Steve, taking a quick kick at the ashes that resembled a woman.

"What happened here?" Steve whispered this time, noticing that Skylar was blinking slowly, a tired look in her eye as Bucky glanced at him.

"She killed her. What more do you want me to tell you?" Buck harshly whispered, wincing as Steve finally noticed the pipe sticking out of his friends stomach.

"Dear god, Buck…." Steve furrowed his eyebrows in concern as Sam and Clint finally approached the two.

"You two are in bad shape, we gotta get you guys out of here." Sam's eyes continued to glance around at the ready, Clint looking down at Skylar in concern.

"I'm not going anywhere." Skylar muttered as Steve glared down at her, almost begging her to stay put so that they could get her out of harms way.

"Glare at me all you want, I'm not going to leave Tony with that monster." Skylar rasped out, slapping Clint and Steve's arms away as she continued to push herself to sit up, her head swimming momentarily as Buck held a hand out for her. He was in no better shape, though he would heal quicker than her, especially since Steve was nice enough to be the guy in charge of pulling the pipe free. And did it hurt like a bitch.

"Doll, Bucky had a pipe through his stomach and is bleeding everywhere, you're in no better shape. He'll heal quickly, not you." Steve begged as she yanked on Bucky's hand, forcefully using Clint as some sort of climbing rope as she stood, swaying into his side.

"Wait, you know whose behind this?" Sam suddenly asked in realization as Skylar hissed down at her leg before nodding.

"That bitch there reminded me of a few things I had forgotten with HYDRA." Skylar whispered as she nudged her head at the woman's dead body while Steve looked at her in disappointment.

"Lang…." Steve made to correct her as she growled at him as she hung off of Clint.

"We don't have time for that, Tony and the others are in trouble. Before she knocked out, I got into her mind, he's holding them in the Hulk cage in the basement. We are sorely out number, unfortunately." Skylar mumbled the last part as she rested her head on Clint's shoulder with a sigh.

"Sky, you don't look so good. Maybe we should get Happy…." Sam agreed with Steve who only nodded as the woman licked her dry red lips, shaking her head.

"You're gonna need my help, even if I have to stay in the back and fight, you all are gonna need me. He's heavily armed and ready for us. The second that door opens, it'll be a blood bath." Skylar side eyed Bucky whose arm was loudly whirling from beside her.

"Doll." Steve sighed, shaking his head in her direction as her exhausted eyes took a quick glance at her fiancé.

"We don't have time." She whispered through a shaky voice, tears filling her eyes as both the stress of the situation and pain from her injury flooded through her.

"They plan…..they are planning on doing the same thing to Tony. I won't….I refuse to let him go through….go through what I did."


	22. Chapter 22

**OMG! I think it's been over a month, or even longer, since I last** updated ; **_;**

 **I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo fricken sorry for the long wait! Dear god! I did not know having 2 jobs was this exhausting. I'm practically working every day from morning to night then to top it all off, I have one baby party that I'm doing decor for on November 4th and a Christmas party that I'm in charge of decorations for. Thennnnnn, Halloween is just around the corner and my husband and I run one of the only haunted houses on the island, so it's been hella stressful! I've barely been able to find time to myself, let alone writing up chapters.**

 **But I have NOT abandoned this story. I refuse to do that. So I will** continue **to update when I get a chance, I hope you can be patient with me!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its** characters

* * *

It was quiet for a long while after that, the group of 5 retreating into the security room that Bucky and Skylar had found earlier in the night while Clint did what he could to patch up Skylar's wounds.

Skylar hissed as Clint tugged on the gauzes that he was lucky enough to swipe from one of the rooms they had passed on the way to the security room.

"Son of a ….." She groaned, her head lulling back against the headrest of the computer chair, gaining both Steve and Bucky's attention. Steve sighed as he watched on helplessly as Clint scolded Skylar lightly for acting like a baby earning a kick from the woman.

"I can't watch her go in there, not like this." Steve muttered under his breath as he took a quick glance over at Sam who was intently watching every camera possible for any sort of movement. Bucky side eyed the super soldier before glancing over at the woman to see her glaring half-heartedly at Clint who was now holding a hand to his throat where she had kicked him just earlier.

"Well, she's not the type to sit back and watch us go in alone. What do you plan on doing? Ditching her?" Bucky grumbled back, knowing quite well that said woman would not sit back and allow them to go in, guns blazing, without her there. Especially seeing as she knew what was waiting for them beyond those basement doors.

Steve sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose, knowing his friend was right though he didn't want to admit it.

"I don't know." Steve turned from his fiance who was slowly pulling her shirt and vest back on over her wound.

"Keep still for a minute would ya? Let it at least heal for a second." Clint stood from his kneeling spot, holding the woman down with a glare before turning to the other 3 men in the room.

"So, what's the plan?" Clint tossed a ball of used gauze into the trash can, sliding up beside Sam who stepped away from the screens for the time being.

"Well, from where I'm looking, the others are all down stairs. We can't leave them down there, especially if this dude is planning on doing the same thing to them as they did Sky, maybe even Snowflake." Sam explained seriously, his arms slowly crossing over his chest as he eyed the other men.

"This dude's name is Vladimir Mikhailov. He created what I am today." Skylar slowly pushed herself to stand, stumbling back into the chair. The guys glanced at her in confusion and surprise, Bucky on the other hand looked at her with something akin to familiarity.

"Vladimir Mikhailov?" Clint asked unsure as she sighed and nodded, holding a hand to her stomach as she forced herself to stand still.

"Why have I never heard of this guy before tonight?" Steve looked at her, slightly put off that he hadn't been told about this guy.

"He's a HYDRA agent that worked closely with Alexander Pierce. He had a hand in creating the Winter Soldier also." Skylar explained, her eyes looking at Bucky in concern as all eyes whipped to stare at the silent man.

"I didn't tell you about him because I never met him while I was under HYDRA. I told you that the man in charge was someone I never saw face to face. His name and anything else I knew about him was whipped from my memory. That was until that wench downstairs jogged my memory." Skylar massaged her temples at the thought, Steve's arm pulling her unconsciously closer to his side.

"Well I hate to break this pity party but I'm pretty sure we lost our element of surprise." Clint changed the subject, meeting Skylar's thankful glance as Steve turned slightly to peck her forehead.

"Element of surprise? Did we ever have one? I'm pretty sure these bastards could smell us coming from across the pond. Probably was watching us parade outside." Just the thoughts alone irritated Sam beyond comprehension.

"What about that man you were speaking to outside?" Bucky suddenly asked, having shaken off the thought of his 'creator' being somewhere in the building.

"Happy?" Clint perked up at the mention of said man as Skylar shook her head.

"That…woman fried my comm, what about you guys?" She turned and looked up at Steve who only shook his head with a sigh.

"Those psychotic bastards upstairs fried ours too." Sam huffed out.

It was silent for a moment before Skylar realized she had all the tech to contact Happy sitting right here in the room.

"Son of a bitch." She muttered, pushing away from a startled Steve as she limped towards the nearest computer where Friday was still uploading back into the building.

"Did I miss something?" Sam asked confused from beside her as she silently typed across the screen.

"Pass me that phone right there." She blindly pointed to the landline telephone sitting in the corner of the room as Bucky pulled the line out of the wall and walked over, handing her the contraption.

"Clint, tap into that computer, see if you can bring up the building's grid and thermal camera. FRIDAY should be up enough to run those programs." Skylar directed as the man wasted no time in doing what was asked.

"Doll, what's going on?" Steve asked from her left as she hummed, turning the computer's hard drive around enough to see the back as she grabbed the phones cord.

"I'm tapping into the phones line through the computer. And…there." A screen popped up on the computer as she quickly tapped in a code of numbers before pressing enter as a phone line ringing began to echo through the room.

"Gah damn." Bucky muttered impressed under his breath as Steve smirked at his friend, feeling his chest puff out in pride.

"Go for Happy." A voice answered as she chuckled.

"Happy, it's me. We've lost our comms." She immediately explained as she leaned forward, resting her hands atop the desk top.

"Oh! Ms. Stark! I was beginning to wonder if I needed to call someone in like the navy or something." Happy explained in relief as Clint turned the screen to show a thermal image of the downstairs. About 2 dozen soldiers situated around the room with 3 thermal hits sitting in what she knew to be the Hulk Cage. That's

"Happy, be quiet and listen. Tony is being held in the basement by HYDRA nut bags, I need you to get ahold of Stark Tower and connect with Pepper. Fill her in with what is going on. Since Bruce is no longer with us, so to speak, and all of the medical employees here are either dead or gone, we're gonna need her backup medical team here as soon as possible. Get in touch with Dr. Cho also." She explained as she realized there was a pair of heat signatures missing from the Hulk Cage.

"Tell them to keep their distance till we give the all clear. No questions. Just do it. I'm out." Skylar cut his line off before pulling up another screen.

"So what are we doing?" Sam then asked as the line began ringing.

"There are two heat signatures missing. I'm assuming Rhodey and Vision were sent out on their own side mission. Yup, jet is missing." She added as she pointed out at the building's thermal sweep to see the landing bay was empty.

"I'll be damned. We still have two out there." Steve whispered in relief, pecking her temple lightly as the line finally picked up.

"Yeah!" A winded voice answered as she reeled in the irritation at just hearing said voice.

"Rhodes. It's Sky." She hesitantly spoke up as the wind continued to bash through the line.

"What the hell do you want? I refuse to talk to a criminal." He spat back sending Bucky and Steve growling as she rolled her eyes.

"Get your head out of your ass. This is an emergency." She hissed back.

"Emergency, my ass. Deal with it yourself. Some of us still have work to do." Rhodes barked back as she clenched her fists, her nerves hanging on a thin line.

"Tony is in trouble! Shut the fuck up and just listen for once!" She had officially snapped. She could take Rhodes bantering on a normal day but today, no, her family was in trouble.

"Tony? What kind of trouble?" Rhodes wasn't about to bend over and trust this woman just yet but hearing his best friends name, he stopped flying momentarily, glancing over at Vision who was floating beside him.

"The compound is offline, FRIDAY is offline. We are here in the compound. HYDRA has Tony, Nat and Peter locked down in the Hulk Cage. There is about 2 dozen soldiers, enhanced and the norm waiting for us." She quickly bit her lip, fighting back the words that she truly wanted to yell at the man.

"Have you attempted to reboot FRIDAY up?" Rhodes didn't have to be told more as he had tried to poke at FRIDAY to get nothing of the sort. Gesturing in the direction of New York to Vision before the two took off flying.

"I did that the second I got into the security office. She's got about 65% more to upload and then she's ready to go."

"Send me your exact coordinates and we'll meet up."

"Fine. See you in 5."

"So what's the plan?" Sam asked as Skylar continued to type along the computer screen.

"I just sent out coordinates to Rhodes but he won't be here for another 5 minutes, 7 tops. Tony and the others don't have that sort of time." She turned, sighing out in relief as she leaned back against the counter, pulling her weight off her wounded leg.

"What do you suggest?" Clint asked her hesitantly as she eyed him, giving him the 'you-know-what-the-hell-I'm-talking-about' look.

"We go in there, guns blazing. We don't have time to wait for Rhodes and Vis to get here. When they do, they'll just swoop in and finish the job." Skylar was absentmindedly beginning to rub her wound, her brows contorted in pain.

"And you expect me to allow you to go down there, injured?" Steve asked out, his brows and lips set in a serious line. Skylar sighed, shutting her eyes briefly before glancing over to her fiancé to see that he wasn't about to budge, no matter what she had to say on the matter.

"Steve, you know I'm going to go down there with you, no matter what you do. You can tie me to the damn chair and it won't hold me back." She offered him, wanting him to know that no matter what he was going to say, she wouldn't stay back.

"Well, she's not wrong there. We could probably weld the door shut and she'd still find a way to get out." Sam muttered under his breath, equally not happy about the situation.

"But doll….." Steve dropped his hands to his sides, taking a few steps forward to tower over her, wanting her to see the pain it was causing him to even consider allowing her to follow them. Skylar met his baby blues and sighed, biting on the inside of her cheek.

"There are too many of them. You can't stop them without me." She whispered as he sighed, shutting his eyes, dropping his forehead lightly down on hers.

"I can't take you in there with us and…lose you. I can't…" He whispered down to her, his hands reaching out to grip her arms.

"Who said you were going to lose me? Keep on thinking negative things and negative things will happen." She teased as he snorted, his hard eyes snapping open to meet hers.

"This isn't funny." He scolded, pulling his forehead away from hers as she sighed.

"I'm not staying back Steve, I don't care what you have to say, you're all gonna need me there, believe me." She looked up at him desperately as Steve chewed on the inside of his cheek.

"I won't leave her side Steve. I'll stay at the back with her." Bucky's voice was the voice of reason as it pulled the two out of their personal conversation and over to the silent man standing a few feet beside them. Skylar met his steal blue eyes, smiling softly at his words while Steve met his best friend's eyes, sighing in defeat. He knew Bucky wouldn't let anyone get to her and he hoped Bucky would at least keep her in line too.

"You stay at the very back, and I mean the very, very back, in the shadows with Buck. Do you understand me?" Steve turned his hardened eyes back to his fiancé, taking a mental photo of her face.

"I will, don't worry."

* * *

The plan was to go downstairs, blast the door open and just begin unloading whatever weapons they had. They already lost the element of surprises and knew their friends were locked down in the hulk cage, which was luckily bullet proof, so they had nothing to worry about. One thing they didn't have any information on, was the sort of enhanced individuals that this man had at his disposal. If the enhanced they ran into the in the hallways were any clue to what was waiting for them, the team was on their toes now.

"Stay with Buck." Steve pressed his lips to hers forcefully, pecking her forehead last before offering her over to Buck who easily stepped up beside her.

"We go in, guns loaded, don't hold back. We already know the guys are in the Hulk cage, it'll protect them." Steve whispered to the group once more as they all nodded in understanding before filling out of the room and into the hallway.

It was eerily quiet as the group silently shuffled through the empty building and down the stairs. The second they hit the bottom step leading into the basement, that's when the PA system to the building, crackled to life before a familiar voice echoed through the emptiness.

"Skylar Anne Stark." A Russian accented voice echoed as the group froze where they were standing.

"Ah, it has been some time since I've seen you last. You have grown." He chuckled as the guys eyes began whipping around, Steve growling.

"If I knew, that this was the way to get you back into my grasp, I would have not waited so long to take your lovely cousin in." He poked as she found a camera perched in the top corner of the hallway, pointing directly at them.

"Well, you won't be waiting too long for me to be reacquainted with you." She hissed in the cameras direction sending him laughing.

"I see your abilities have not diminished. I could have sworn, I hid that camera quite well." She growled, clenching her fist as the camera popped and fizzed out before dropping to the ground useless.

"What the fuck?" Sam whispered in shock as the device tumbled to the ground in a ball.

"And you brought friends! I've been dying to meet them, especially you're ever popular fiancé, Captain Steve Rogers." The man taunted as Steve's muscles twitched, wanting to bash this man's face in.

"Oh! Where are my manners, I haven't introduced myself yet….I"m…." Clint scoffed, training his bow up and ready.

"We already know who you are, you sack of shit. Vladimir Mikhailov." Clint interrupted as the man chuckled.

"Ah, seems I'm quite famous with your group of friends also. Oh, it is so nice to see you here too, Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes." Bucky stiffened beside her as she reached a hand out, lightly pressing on his forearm to calm him.

"Two of my favorite protégé's here, basically handing themselves to me. This is quite the glorious day if I may say so myself." Skylar was growing more and more infuriated by the second, just hearing this man's voice was sending nerves crawling up her spine.

"No one will be handing themselves over to you. Let our friends go and leave before this gets messy." Steve ordered as he stood at the head of the group, nudging his shield in the direction of the large metal door that led to the basement.

"Ah Captain Rogers, ever the noble. Well, it might surprise you, but someone will be." He cackled proudly as Steve glanced back at the two.

"Let's kill this bastard and go home." Skylar's eyes slowly began to glow as the lining to the large metal door began to do the same.

"Stay with Buck." Was all Steve had a chance to say before the metal door exploded inwards and into the room.

From there on, it was a blood bath, as they had expected. Guns were unloading while various equipment around the room shot in various directions, either from Skylar's doing or from the enhanced beings in the room. Forcefully listening to what Steve had instructed her, she stayed at the far back of the room, beside Bucky who used his gun to silently take out anything that moved from the other side.

A yell of pain is what did it when Skylar glanced over from fighting an enhanced, her heart sunk as she watched Steve fall over one of her cousins examine tables, blood following him as he did.

"Sky, don't." Bucky called out already seeing the mental distress she was in at the sight. But this was Steve.

Growling as she fought for some stability against the crazed enhanced in front of her, she screamed in frustration, spinning with her leg out, at the same time grabbing Buck's knife from his calf holder, stabbing the enhanced between the eyes.

"There she is." A voice whispered as she snapped her head up, her platinum hair being thrown wildly over her shoulder as she met the eyes of her maker.

"How does it feel huh? Familiar? Watching the life drain from him?" The man taunted from across the room as her grip on the knife faltered slightly.

"This is what you were made to do. Kill them. They have hurt your beloved." He continued as she pinned her eyes shut tightly, side eying the rest of the group that were almost at the ends of their abilities, 4 to 5 on each of them as they shouted at her.

"Doll..." A voice then whispered as her eyes shot up, seeing not only her cousin and friends unconscious in the Hulk cage, but Steve lying on the ground, bleeding with a man standing above him, gun at the ready.

That's the last she remembered as something deep inside her snapped, sending her mentality spiraling out of control.

One by one, enhanced and soldiers alike, she killed with a sickening smirk along her face. Her friends and family, watched in silence as she lost herself to blood lust at the simple sight of seeing the man she loved, bleeding.

She ignored the pain in her leg, the yelling from her friends as she continued to allow the pain in her heart to feed her need to fight. To protect. The man that had been standing above Steve, ready to shoot him between the eyes, hadn't lasted 2 seconds before she decapitated him with a piece of sheet metal Tony had lying around the room. By the time all the enhanced along with the enemy soldiers were brought down, Steve's eyes had long ago shut, a pool of blood growing from the wound in his stomach and chest from what she saw as a large hunting knife and a gunshot wound.

Skylar sobbed at the sight, glancing down at the blood on her hands before collapsing beside his form, tears falling viciously down her face.

"You are perfect." A voice chuckled amused from the other side of the room as her hands began to shake, the very thought of annihilating a room within seconds, tossing her stomach uncomfortably.

"Sky!" The guys finally pulled themselves out of their stupor, running to her side only to be tossed by a pulse that shot off her body.

"You did what you were made to do. Kill. And you did it fantastically." Vlad proudly added as he continued to stand just beside the Hulk cage.

"Sky. Don't let him get into your head." Clint barked out as she shut her eyes, a sob bubbling from between her lips.

"Now finish it. Kill the man responsible for putting you in this mess to start with." He whispered tauntingly as she placed her blood covered hands to her ears, holding them tightly at she shook her head.

"Do it!" He screamed at her as she continued to sob, shaking her head before peeling her eyes open to glance at Steve's pale face.

"If you don't do it, you know what'll happen. You are not the only one capable of doing the deed." His voice lowered as she reached a shaky hand over to check her fiances pulse, retracting her hand quickly when she noticed the blood on her hands. Upon hearing his words, she stiffened slightly when the words finally made sense and glanced over towards Bucky who was already standing stalk still at the sight of an ever familiar red notebook.

"No. Stop!" Skylar screamed before it was too late. She shot to stand along with Clint and Sam who were still peeling themselves off the ground just as the last word was spoken.

" _Frieght Car…"_

Her eyes widened in horror as Vlad commanded Bucky to kill her, his eyes immediately landing on her own.

"Clint. Sam. Run!" She screamed in terror as Bucky made a quick shot at her causing her to roll and duck behind one of the examination tables. Clint and Sam, unable to do anything, ran behind another table, slowly making their ways over towards the Hulk cage.

"Here in HYDRA, we don't allow for insubordination. You will be dealt with accordingly." Vlad calmly explained as he slowly made his way towards the exit in the corner.

"Shame though. You were meant to be something special towards our future."


End file.
